every idea, emotion, symptom, and a concept has a unique and authentic visual representation in the conscious and unconscious world of an individual, and archetypical content common to every human. when a person expresses these representations (s)he can watch them from a different perspective, elaborate and develop the unawarely set beliefs. art then becomes a way of communication, especially for those unable to express verbally. Art bypasses the defense systems which gives straightforward, direct, and honest creations, revealing even for the clients themselves. 

Art therapy can be used to reconcile emotional conflicts, develop interpersonal skills, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, achieve insight (...) in schools and with special needs children, with different medical, social, and psychological issues, with trauma-related problems, normal life issues (death). (Bardot, 2018.) 

art therapists work in rehabilitation centers, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, universities, art studios, shelters, refugee camps, private practice..(Bardot, 2018.)

 

what is Art therapy

Art therapy is not an art activity that we engage in our free time, even if we are leading it in the setting that would indicate therapeutic circumstances. Art therapy is not the art activity of learning art technique or medium, even that art therapy can include learning the art technique to fulfill the art therapeutic task, to help a person express emotions and solve issues.

Art therapy must include art and therapy (Rubin, 1982.) which means that the art activity is meant to deal with specific psychological issues of a person.

The art therapist is a person that is educated in art and therapy respectfully, has knowledge in different psychotherapeutic directions and techniques, development of a person and the interpersonal relationship. Art therapist has to be a person always studying and specializing on account of the target group (s)he is working with. difficulty in distinguishing art therapy from more or less regular art activity is making hard for the art therapists to be differentiated and accepted into the institutional settings and therapeutic teams. Still, the therapeutic processes intertwined with art processes inevitably lead to externalizing significant thoughts, emotions, symptoms, and psychological issues which are investigated in the symbolic area of artwork and, even more, specific art therapeutic assignments are given to a client directed for the specific psychological process. This means that the therapeutic process is led through the artwork. Different art exercises are designed for different situations and issues and are used for resolving as much as a diagnostic intervention.