Art therapy is suitable for anyone! No artistic skills or experience is required. All of our art therapists are trained to guide you through the creative process, help you become familiar with the materials, and support you to express yourself through art.

Art therapy is a very effective mode of therapy for children and teens. Children and teens may find it difficult to find the words to express complex emotions or events or find it hard to share their experiences with others and especially adults and authority figures.

Art therapy gives them the ability to express their experiences without words, organize and make sense of their emotions and experiences in an extremal form, and are able to control how others receive information more easily.

Furthermore, children learn how to understand things through symbols and images before language develops.

Executives may engage in art therapy for a number of reasons, however, the most common reason is to slow down and organize their thoughts, so they are better able to make mindful and thoughtful decisions.

They may also choose to engage in art therapy for stress reduction and self-care, to increase their emotional self-awareness, which all support a clearer mindset to be more effective in their work.

Art therapy sessions can occur online at home or in person. If you are engaging in online art therapy, you would have to purchase the art materials to use at home, whereas in an in-person session the therapist has materials ready for you to use already.

Additionally, if you live with others you will need to make sure you have a quiet and private place to do art therapy in your home and have a reliable internet connection.

Art therapy differs from traditional talk therapy because clients use art materials and activities to externalize thoughts and feelings which may be difficult to verbalize or cannot be expressed through words alone. Like psychotherapy, you will also be able to speak about what comes up in the art with your art therapist.

Art therapy is very different from art classes. The goals of an art class often focus on building a specific skill set, learning how to use specific art materials, or focusing on the aesthetic and visual qualities of a finished product.

Art Therapy however focuses on the process of art making, the insights created and the ability of art making to elevate mood and create new insights. It is also guided by a professional art therapist within a therapeutic relationship.

There are a variety of art therapy exercises or directives that an art therapist may incorporate in a session. The general therapeutic goals as well as the focus on the session will determine what the art therapist guides the client to explore through the art. Some themes art therapists will use in art exercises/themes with clients include self-stabilization, mindfulness awareness, externalization, etc.

The difference between group and individual art therapy is in individual art therapy the therapist will focus on your goals and tailor the session to work with these with you.

In comparison, in a group session, the focus is on the goals of the group and maintaining a safe space for all individuals to feel supported and heard through the therapeutic process.

Engaging in art-making on your own is different from art therapy and is referred to as “therapeutic art-making”. Although art-making can feel therapeutic, this is still not considered therapy since the main objective isn’t to process these emotions or resolve mental health difficulties, nor is there a therapist present to help you process these emotions or issues if they arise.

It depends on many factors like other forms of therapy, such as the client's commitment level, the therapeutic bond between the client and therapist, and how the client attends therapy.

It is also important to define goals at the beginning of the treatment and check-in points throughout going to therapy. These will help track progress, see if anything needs to be adjusted in the treatment plan, and also see if additional treatment or support is needed.

Art therapy has many potential therapeutic benefits. Some of the potential benefits may include increased self-awareness & communication skills, stress relief, development of healthy coping skills, and improved self-esteem, among others.

Art therapy can be used for treating mental health or other life struggles such as self-harm & addiction, disordered eating, disassociation, Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, BPD, PTSD, impacts of abuse & trauma, grief and loss, chronic pain, relational issues, conflict resolution, life transitions, and more.

In an art therapy session, a variety of art materials may be incorporated including coloured pencils, markers, oil & soft pastels, collage, paints, fabric, clay etc.

Art making is a major component of the therapeutic process, however, you will not only create art during an art therapy session. It depends on each art therapist’s practice and what your mental health needs are. Art therapy sessions may also include talking, writing, CBT, bodywork, mindfulness, etc.

The cost of an art therapy session is determined by each individual therapist. Each one has its own fee, which is listed next to their profile here. However, on average, individual art therapy sessions are $120 plus HST.

Some of our art therapists offer a sliding scale, which is indicated in their profile. If you do require a sliding scale, please be sure to book a free 15 min consultation to inform your art therapist and you will both decide on a fee that is suitable for you.

You can have access to as many sessions as you like. There is no limit to the number of sessions you have access to. Each person has different needs, some benefit from short-term therapy and some benefit from having long-term support.

The number of sessions covered by your insurance may be limited, so this is something you will have to review before beginning treatment.

It depends on what mental health service your insurance plan covers. Most art therapists are also Registered Psychotherapists and most insurance companies do cover psychotherapy.

To become an art therapist with full, you can rent space at our centre. Full Circle operates like a co-working space for other art therapists whose goals and practices align with our mission. If you are interested in renting a space in our centre you can contact us at info@fullcircleatc.com

Art therapy combines the creative process and psychotherapy, facilitating self-exploration and understanding. Using imagery, colour and shape as part of this creative therapeutic process, thoughts and feelings can be expressed that would otherwise be difficult to articulate. (Canadian Art Therapy Association 2020)

You can choose an art therapist by reviewing their profile and see if they feel like they can support your mental health needs. You can review their profiles to see, how long they have been practicing, what areas they specialize in, as well what other modalities they utilize in sessions such as CBT, mindfulness, bodywork, etc. You can also schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with them to ask any questions you may have before booking a session.

Each session is 50mins to 1hour

Usually the session would being with a short check-in, either verbally or through a short art exercise, or mindfulness activity. The art therapist would then offer an art directive to help you explore a particular theme related to your mental health goals, in a creative way that reaches your unconscious level of thinking. The art therapist may suggest using certain art materials depending on your needs or the goal of the session. We will then have an in-depth discussion about your artwork. There is also a discussion and reflection period, where the art therapist may ask different questions about your experience to help you understand your artwork or the process better.

It is important to note this is only an example, and that the art therapy session may differ depending on the art therapists approach.