What is art therapy?

It is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches lives through a combination of active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. Art therapy occurs with individuals and in groups. 

Image: a group participant makes a watercolor while sitting in a camp chair beneath trees in the spring.

Art therapists in Maryland are licensed as distinct mental health professionals by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, which issues Licensed Clinical Art Therapist (LCPAT) and Licensed Graduate Art Therapist (LGPAT) credentials.

To become a licensed art therapist, a person must earn a masters degree which includes thesis research. This writer attended Notre Dame of Maryland University’s accredited master’s program, which required 1,000 hours of clinical instruction and a thesis project integrating research and field experiences. After a masters degree is earned, a person must pass state and national exams for certification. Once licensed, an art therapist begins work as an LGPAT to complete 2,000 hours of clinical work with weekly supervision from a licensed art therapy supervisor. Art therapy training has parity with LGPC/LCPCs in Maryland.

Poem, art therapy prompt, and drawing

Sometimes, it is helpful to offer & share a brief reading at the beginning of a nature informed art therapy session. Joy Harjo is an internationally recognized poet and performer from the Muscogee (Creek) nation. 

The Eagle

by Joy Harjo.

To pray you open your whole self
To sky to earth to sun to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can’t see, can’t hear;
Can’t know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren’t always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.

In beauty.

Poem from: https://www.joyharjo.com/

     Or listen and watch J.H. reading her poem in this short video:
     https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/eagle-poem

Harjo's poem promotes self-connection through observing nature: the poem aligns with nature informed art therapy. Nature brings an awareness of extending one's identity to other life forms, including non-verbal experiences. The watercolor seen above was made after reading this poem. While this drawing might look like a scribble, it includes five bird flight patterns arranged across the page and randomly colored. Art therapists often complete new prompts themselves before working with a client: this helps the art therapist to be sensitively informed. 

The art therapy prompt is,"after reading this poem, select a line or idea that stands out for you. Using the art and natural materials provided, respond in your own way, and without judgment." Clients are usually offered opportunities to share their visual responses before a session ends. Some clients talk openly about what they've made; however, simply making any response is also welcome.  

Art therapists are professionally trained to understand mental health diagnosis within stages of human development. They are professionally licensed (like LCPCs) to work in both talk and art therapy. Nature informed art therapists specialize in supporting non-verbal forms of response through creative art processes that integrate the natural world in many ways. Careful planning with clearly stated goals are always a part of each session. An alliance of safety, trust, respect, and confidentiality is upheld as stated in ethical codes of conduct outlined by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). 

Oak and grass sundial: Reciprocity in nature

The image in this post was made with oak leaves and grass: it points to the North, South, East, and West, marking time through shadow (the picture was taken around 4-5pm in early November). This environmental artwork was made when attending a three-day certificate program with the Center for Nature Informed Therapy (CNIT/Towson, MD). The certificate program provides a clear theoretical perspective with emerging science-based research around benefits of nature informed therapy. The program is culturally sensitive to a wide range of views of nature, and provides practical resources and training for preliminary client assessment with insurance-related issues for outdoor therapy. CNIT's goal is to train as many therapists as possible to be nature informed.

As an art therapist, I am excited to deepen a nature-informed practice of care because connection with a wider range of life forms supports somatic (direct body) connections with our evolved senses in present moments. Reciprocity and connection to the natural living world (either indoors or outside) promotes calm and reflection. The generative space that nature informed therapy opens up allows for more places of personal meaning & growth.

Nature informed therapy: An emerging field

Ecological art therapy is an emerging field that uses natural objects as well as outdoor spaces to encourage healing with enriched connection with the natural world. When outside, the senses are naturally awakened for present moment awareness. Meaning making shifts as objects such as leaves and sticks are selected, held, arranged and placed with specific prompts and questions in mind. As an emerging art therapist, this way of working outside allows for an expanded field of art therapy with nature as supportive co-therapist.