{"id":63,"date":"2018-04-30T18:18:15","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T18:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lovescounseling.com\/?page_id=63"},"modified":"2020-07-29T19:43:58","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T19:43:58","slug":"faq-about-art-therapy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lovescounseling.com\/index.php\/extra-service-art-therapy\/faq-about-art-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ about Art Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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20 Questions about Art Therapy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is art therapy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art therapy is about expressing feelings and experiences through\nart to bridge the gap between pictures and words. When people are\nexperiencing intense feelings and trauma, the emotions and memories\nget stuck in a part of the brain that is more primal and has less\naccess to words. When a client does artwork, they are working with\ntheir hands or body and making artwork that accesses the areas of the\nbrain that don’t have words. With working with hands or body in\nmaking pictures, clients use more parts of their brain than one would\nuse by only talking. Since art therapy clients are using more areas\nof the brain than talk therapy he or she may be able to reach\ntherapeutic goals at a faster rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art therapy? That’s a thing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people might ask an art therapist– what do you have your\ndegree in? There are bachelor, master and doctorate programs\ndedicated to art therapy. Art therapy started out as an unofficial\narea of study and therapeutic tool with various artists and\npsychologist noticing that art had more meaning than was recognized\nat the time. Today it is a regulated, accredited major and a\nrecognized form of therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you have your degree in?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are bachelor, master and doctorate programs dedicated to art\ntherapy. Art therapy started out as an unofficial area of study and\ntherapeutic tool with various artists and psychologists noticing that\nart had more meaning than was recognized at the time. Today it is a\nregulated, accredited major and a recognized form of therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does insurance cover that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many insurance plans cover the costs of art therapy. Insurance\ncodes allow an art therapist to bill for a 25 to 75 minute session\nusing interactive tools with individuals, groups, or families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What license do you have to get?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Connecticut, an art therapist can get an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), and also get the recognition of completion of a master’s degree art therapy by applying for an ATR (Registered Art Therapist). Some insurance plans cover therapy sessions with Professional Counselors. In October of 2019, the CT state legislature approved the Art Therapy Licensure. Since this is a new license, it may be difficult to assess whether insurances will cover the appointments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What type of art supplies do you have?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clients are able to choose from markers, pens, collage materials,\nboxes, clay, chalk and oil pastels, acrylic paints, watercolor\npaints, altered books, and sewing projects (with some assistance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do clients do in an art therapy session?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The client comes in, talks about their week for a few minutes and\nthen decides what materials they would like to use. If the client\ndoesn’t know what to do, suggestions can be made on what to make for\nart work with consideration to their case and recent events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does a client come once a week for that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A client can come up to three times a week if the client requires\nextra support through a difficult time. Most clients come once a\nweek. Some clients have financial struggles and will reduce the\namount of time they attend sessions; although, this is not\nrecommended. Other clients feel that they are doing well and feel\nthat less support and less sessions are required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many times does a client have to attend?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some clients, insurance limit the amount of covered sessions\nso they can choose whether they want to come for only those sessions\nor continue after that. Each case is unique and therefore a set\namount of sessions is difficult to pinpoint. It’s best to allow the\nclient to decide when they want to discontinue therapy– and\nhopefully that is when they are feeling their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you interpret the art and symbols?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some clients, it’s important to their healing to talk about the symbols they’ve chosen for a piece of artwork. For other clients, they like to focus on the process of doing the artwork. In my practice, clients choose what they would like to say about their artwork and usually, a reflective discussion happens afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you only work with children?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many adults and adolescence have found art therapy an important part of their healing process. Art therapists have worked with every population that seeks therapy. Professionally, I work better with adults and adolescents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you specialize in?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I work well with people who are experiencing issues with stress, anger, self-esteem\/ self-worth, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, adoption issues, dissociation, issues with sex drive, and many others. I also have experience in working with veterans and those in the LGBTQ+ community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there people with disorders you don’t work with?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art therapists work with any diagnosis or issue. Every therapist\nhas a population they work well with and those who a therapist\ndoesn’t work well with. While I have occasionally worked people who\nare facing issues with psychosis, I have also had a few clients with\nSchizophrenia who have left abruptly because they did not like the\nway treatment was going. Other clients who have left abruptly are\npeople with Borderline Personality Disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you incorporate spirituality in your practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It depends on the person. I’ve had clients who are Atheists and\nsome who are a Christian-based religion,  i.e. Methodist,\nCatholics, Baptists, and on. When people are in conflict, sometimes\nthey turn away from God or religion. Some people benefit greatly from\nhaving a reconnection to spirituality. When people start doing art\ntherapy, some people start to notice the small beautiful parts of\nlife and that can get them to reconnect to an aspect of spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you do with a client who doesn’t want to draw?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the client is there for art therapy, then they can sit there for the whole session if they want. For others, sometimes something as simple as a scribble or a directive will get the creativity flowing. Also, simply talking is also within my scope of practice. Art therapist is not the only modality I work in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you do with a client whose inappropriate with what\nthey draw?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s nothing off-limits in art therapy. Art therapy can lead to great expression and release of feelings that people often feel ashamed about. Some people have used art materials to be provocative and that can lead to some good discussions and discoveries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you address the same issues that a psychologist or\nsocial worker would?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I do. Some psychologists, social workers and helping\nprofessionals use hand outs as an interactive tool just as I would\nalso use hand outs or art supplies as an interactive tool. Most\nclients know what they would want to work on– such as help through a\nstressful time, anger issues, academic problems, focus, motivation,\nself-esteem, self-worth, depression, anxiety or symptoms of\npost-traumatic stress disorder. We all help people achieve their\ngoals and have various ways or tools to get the client there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have to be an artist or talent to go to art\ntherapy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No. I’ve seen many clients who don’t consider themselves artists.\nWhen I had the show that displayed art created in art therapy\nsessions, many people were surprised with how many people used stick\nfigures. I’ve seen other clients who enjoy being pushed farther in\ntheir artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does group therapy differ from individual therapy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In group therapy, people with the same issues such as sex\naddiction, divorce, sexual trauma, anxiety or other issues, come\ntogether to do artwork, support each other, and talk about what they\nare going through. In doing art together, some people get ideas from\nseeing what other people are doing. From talking together, people see\nthat they are not alone in what they are going through. In individual\nsessions, focus is on issues specific to the person and the time is\nspent talking and doing artwork or only talking. Some people benefit\nfrom individual or group therapy and some benefit from both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What should I bring to the first session?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bring yourself and your ID. Also, if you have insurance, please\nbring your insurance card. Some clients bring their own art supplies\nand sketchbooks in order to share and talk about recent artworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What should I know about starting therapy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In therapy, what you say is confidential. There are some\nlimitations though. For example, I have to report abuse of a child,\nyourself, another person or the elderly to the proper authorities.\nAlthough, I do understand that you might say something out of\nfrustration that you don’t mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know your contract well. While you might agree to pay a reduced\nfee with me, if you don’t come in and I can’t get a hold of you, your\ncase will go to the default fees and you might owe a great amount of\nmoney. Following the contract will help you to avoid such situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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