Art therapy attempts to take the patient into his or her own inner world where, proponents of this therapy say, healing begins. Art is also a distraction. It has the ability to remove us from the reality of pain and discomfort. This can contribute to the healing process because it reduces or removes stress and enhances a sense of well-being. Art therapists may visit a patient in the hospital, in a nursing home or at home.
Art therapists work with patients singly or in groups.
Patients are completely free to select their own art medium and are given the necessary tools or equipment to produce something of their own making. They are encouraged to express their feelings and interests. The benefit results from the process of creation, not the finished product. By constructing an original work of art, patients are able to get in touch with themselves and visualize sensations, inner emotions, and feelings that otherwise may not have been expressed. Further, the sense of creating something original is uplifting and refreshing.