Creative & body-based therapies

Colouring books, playlists and art classes can be lovely self-care, but they are not therapy. In creative arts therapy, a credentialed therapist uses the art form inside a therapy relationship to reach personal goals.

Mind–body approaches work with attention, breath, body sensations and movement. Some, like MBCT, have strong research. Others, like stand-alone somatic therapies, have much less. This guide is honest about which is which.

Creative arts therapists work in hospitals, schools, veterans’ clinics, private practices and crisis centers. They work with children, older adults, people living with dementia, and people in addiction recovery, among others.

• Behaviour struggles and social skills
• Grief, divorce or family changes
• Trauma and difficult experiences
• Worry, fears and big emotions

Parents and caregivers are usually involved, with check-ins or joint sessions. NIMH notes effective therapy for children often includes parent involvement and skills practised at home.

Ask whether the therapist has specialized play therapy training and experience with your child’s age. After trauma, older children and teens may be offered TF-CBT (see Therapies for trauma).

• Emotional resilience and insight
• Reducing conflict and distress
• Self-esteem and self-awareness
• Social skills

Art therapists have master’s-level (or higher) degrees and are credentialed mental health professionals. They work in hospitals, schools, veterans’ clinics, private practices and crisis centers.

You can check a U.S. art therapist’s credentials with the Art Therapy Credentials Board.

You might draw, paint or shape clay, then talk with the therapist about what came up. Nobody judges how it looks. The aim is to express and reflect, not to make “good” art.

• Active: singing, playing instruments, improvising, songwriting
• Moving to music or discussing lyrics
• One-to-one or in a group
• Receptive: listening to music and talking about what it brings up

A 2017 Cochrane review (9 studies, 421 people) found music therapy added to usual care reduced depression symptoms in the short term and improved anxiety and functioning. It is also used with dementia, autism, pain, cancer and stroke.

In the U.S., music therapists complete a music therapy degree with 1,200 hours of clinical training and can earn the MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) credential. No musical skill is needed from you.

Drama therapy is the intentional use of drama and theatre to reach therapy goals. It is active and hands-on, helping people tell their stories, solve problems, set goals and express feelings.

Techniques

• Improvisation and theatre games
• Role-play and rehearsing hard conversations
• Storytelling and metaphor
• Using masks, puppets or ritual

It is open to all ages, and no acting skill is needed. It is used in addiction recovery, with abuse survivors, older adults, young people and people experiencing homelessness. In the U.S., look for a Registered Drama Therapist (RDT).

Dance/movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to bring emotional, social, thinking and physical parts of ourselves together. It began in the 1940s and sees mind, body and spirit as connected.

What it’s like

• It can be gentle and adapted for any body or ability
• Movement is used to express and explore feelings
• Sessions can be for individuals, couples, families or groups
• The therapist pays attention to how you move, not just what you say

You don’t need to be a dancer. In the U.S., trained dance/movement therapists hold the R-DMT or BC-DMT credential.

MBSR teaches mindful meditation, with group discussion and ways to apply what you learn to stressful moments.

Evidence: research suggests mindfulness approaches work better than no treatment for anxiety and depression and, in some analyses, about as well as other evidence-based therapies. Long-term effects are less clear.

MBCT combines mindfulness practice with CBT ideas. You learn to notice thoughts and feelings as they come, without getting swept into old spirals. It is usually taught in a group course and is offered in NHS talking therapies.

Evidence: a 2016 analysis of 9 trials found 38% of people with repeated depression who did MBCT had a relapse within 60 weeks, compared with 49% of those who didn’t. No harms were found when it was taught by well-trained teachers, and benefits did not depend on age.

Mindfulness is usually low-risk, but some people feel more anxious or low during practice. Ask about the teacher’s training, and don’t use it to replace or delay care you need.

• Gentle movement or breathwork
• Grounding: feeling your feet on the floor, your breath, the room around you
• Moving between a calm feeling and a slightly stressful one, in small doses
• Noticing where you feel emotion in your body

Body awareness and calming skills are part of many proven therapies (for example, the breathing skill in prolonged exposure). But stand-alone somatic therapies have far less research than trauma therapies like CPT, PE and EMDR, which the VA lists as having the most research support for PTSD.

Be cautious of any practitioner who promises quick cures or claims to “release trauma” in one session. Ask about their license and training, and talk to your clinical provider or therapist about what fits you.

• Art therapy: credentialed through the Art Therapy Credentials Board
• Dance/movement therapy: R-DMT or BC-DMT
• Drama therapy: Registered Drama Therapist (RDT)
• Music therapy: MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified)

• What are your credentials and training?
• Have you worked with people my age, or with what I’m going through?
• What happens in a typical session?
• How will we know it’s helping?
• Does this work alongside other therapy I’m having?

Creative arts therapists work in hospitals, schools, veterans’ clinics, private practices, crisis centers and care homes. Ask your clinic, school or hospital whether they offer these therapies.

• Let them choose whether to show you what they made
• Avoid comments like “that’s good” or “that’s weird”
• Ask “What would you like to tell me about it?” if they share
• Respect that sessions are private

Join check-ins when invited, and practise skills at home. Parent involvement is a key part of effective therapy for children.

Your primary care provider, school counsellor, insurance company or FindTreatment.gov (SAMHSA’s locator for mental health services) can help you find care. The Therapy: the basics guide helps you choose and prepare.

Find A Helpline lists free, confidential helplines in many countries. In an emergency, contact your local emergency number.