Art therapy is psychotherapy that uses visual art materials as the main tool. Working with visual imagery can tap into a non-verbal way of knowing and help express things that are hard to put words to.
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Example

Energy sketches are a great starting place to check-in with where you're at the beginning of a session. 
For more examples of ways in which art-making can support wellbeing and be incorportated into the therapeutic experience visit About Me.
"Art heals the soul’s wounds." -Shaun McNiff

​WHY INCLUDE ART IN THERAPY?

Art making is a sacred way of accessing a deeper part of ourselves, helping us to re-imagine the past and envision a brighter future. Through art, we can tap into a force and wisdom greater than our habitual thinking. Art-making can be a way to communicate when words are too challenging or fail to capture the complexity of our experiences. It can help to externalize challenges and to befriend, care for, and empower various aspects of ourselves, such as the nurturing mother, wounded baby, or critical beast. Art expression can help us to calm and soothe ourselves, contain emotions, and tap into creative problem-solving. As we engage with the art materials, we can be moved in return.

"Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change – it can not only move us, it makes us move." - Ossie Davis

Research to support Art Therapy

Here's a bibliography of some general positive impacts of the arts and art therapy: