How Art Therapy Is Used in Recovery

Art therapy has been used as one of the many pathways to recovery and  substance abuse treatment since

the 1950s. It has since been used as a tool to provide emotional release, self-expression, stress management, and adjustment to recovery. The Journal of Addictions Nursing states that art therapy can contribute to the recovery process in the following ways:

  • Decreasing the client’s denial of addiction

  • Increasing the client’s motivation to change

  • Providing a safe outlet for painful emotions

  • Lessening the shame of addiction

A person uses creativity and imagination to make art expressed in a healthy and productive way. There are as many  venues of expression and healing as there are expressions of art. The goal is for the person to create art to convey his or her experiences. The kinds of art groups at Restoration Recovery Center include:

  • Painting

  • Sculpting

  • Drawing

  • Poetry

  • Jewelry making

  • Crafting

SAMHSA’s Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy guide describes art therapy as a type of expressive group therapy that can help people express their thoughts and feelings that they may not be able to say with words. This creative outlet  is especially helpful for people who have underlying issues related to their addiction, such as a history of abuse or trauma. Creating art provides an opportunity to explore, understand, and resolve issues in a person’s life that he may not feel comfortable talking about in a regular conversation.

According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), art therapy is a modality that can help the individual in a variety of important ways:

  • By resolving emotional conflicts

  • By building self-esteem

  • By encouraging self-awareness

  • By reducing anxiety

  • By developing social skills

Art and creativity  is useful to people in recovery because it provides them with ways to understand and cope with their addiction. Art and creativity can be a great way for a person to explore aspects of his life that he might not be able to explain in a conversational way. When done in a group setting, art therapy can also help people going through addiction treatment grow closer and better understand each other’s experiences and feelings.

Ways to RecoveryJulia ArmstrongTherapy, Recovery