by Patti Mcquillen

Created on: May 20, 2008

Shy, easily intimidated, and misunderstood normally topped the list of words and phrases describing the young boy. At only seven years of age, he wanted nothing more than to die. His parents knew little about him; yet, they attempted conversing with him each day. Frustrated, they now clustered around the low table in the office of an art therapist. This professional would make the fifth expert they consulted in the past six months. No one truly expected this experience to differ from the rest.

A bell jingled above a door and a woman opened it. She stood in the doorway, her hands laden with jars of paint, brushes, three smocks and a collection of colored paper. Her hair was rumpled and a smudge of bright red paint sat on the tip of her nose. She smiled and asked them if they would like to follow her.

Assembled in her office, the parents began rattling off a litany of concerns and issues with their son as if he was not present. They never looked at him. With their hands wringing, they offered information and plenty of chatter. Having repeated this experience many times before, they knew what the therapist wanted and needed.

She listened, jotted down notes, observed and nodded her head. When they took a breath, she jumped in and explained art therapy to their son. They sat in surprise as her words flew from her mouth.

"Art therapy is therapy using art. Therapists, like me, use paint, crayons, watercolors, chalk and many other everyday items to help people feel better."

She then sat back in her seat and addressed the parents. She explained how she could help the family as a whole and her practice. The parents, now shocked, continued to sit in silence. This was different, new and a bit scary. How could art therapy really make a difference?

In typical therapy experiences, a client addresses concerns with a therapist by talking. The professional listens, asks questions, offers support and encourages further exploration of the issues the client describes. Art therapy works differently because the therapist uses art as a way of helping the client achieve a healthy well-being. The art is the key.

This type of therapy is not exclusively for children. Adults can and do use it too. It is a more relaxed way of exploring issues because art is not stressed, has no major deadlines, and the client remains in control of it. Work, school, family, home and life pressures cause people to feel a lack of control and frustrated. Violence, substance abuse and depression may result when daily

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