By Syann Ellis / Jambar Contributor
A local mental health expert says art therapy remains a tool benefiting individuals who grapple with emotional challenges.
Heidi Larew is an art therapy supervisor at Alta Behavioral Healthcare. She discussed why art therapy is beneficial to mental health.
“It’s a profession and an intervention that helps clients use art, creativity, symbolism and metaphor to express their thoughts and feelings, explore their values and behaviors and develop healthy coping skills,” Larew said.
Larew discussed the mediums she uses in her sessions such as acrylic paint and canvas. She also works with decoupaging items with tissue paper, creating collages, making jewelry with beads and some weaving.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders and severe mental illness.
Larew said CBT is utilized during art therapy sessions to establish what a patient wants to discuss, assess what is important and determine which treatment plans will be employed.
The National Institute of Health said there is growing evidence that creative expression can significantly enhance well-being, promote healing and foster resilience.
Larew said individuals who might benefit from art therapy often have trouble articulating their experiences or communicating effectively.
“It’s helpful for people with depression to become actively engaged in a physical experience, and that behavioral activation can help them get unstuck emotionally,” Larew said. “It is also beneficial for individuals with anxiety to calm themselves or express their fears. For those with autism, art therapy can provide a means to explore their sensory experiences.”
Art therapy can assist people who may feel uncomfortable with traditional one-on-one therapy.
“If a person has difficulty sitting with a therapist, having an object between themselves and the therapist can help them project their feelings onto the object rather than onto the relationship,” Larew said.
According to LifeSpan, art therapy is often misunderstood, and there are many misconceptions about the profession as a whole.
“One misconception is that it’s only for children, but for the majority of my career, I’ve worked with adults. Another is that males don’t use it, which is also not accurate,” Larew said.
Larew said another misconception is participants must be skilled artists or abstract thinkers, but it depends on individual treatment goals and how the therapy is applied. No prior artistic skills are required to attend art therapy sessions.
The National Library of Medicine said it calls for greater awareness and integration of art therapy into treatment plans, emphasizing its unique ability to bridge communication gaps and unlock deep-seated emotions in a nonverbal, therapeutic environment.
In July 2023, Governor Mike DeWine signed legislation approving the licensing of art therapists in Ohio, which took effect in 2024.
Larew said she’s optimistic about the future of the profession.
“In the next few years, I believe our professional identity will solidify to the point where we can receive supervision from other art therapists for advanced licensure, allowing us to diagnose without needing someone else to review our work,” Larew said.
