Does Art Therapy for Anxiety Help You Cope With Symptoms?

What Is Art Therapy?

Art therapy is a type of therapy which employs the use of visual art to facilitate healing. Art therapy can be a stand alone profession or be used as an intervention with other therapeutic modalities. There is research that supports the effectiveness of art therapy even when it is employed in multiple different ways.¹

The Connection Between Art Therapy & Anxiety

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that can help manage anxiety symptoms. Some research on diverse populations supports art therapy for effectiveness in reducing anxiety. Using undergraduate students and prisoners, the study observed some reduction in anxiety symptoms. One of the primary benefits of art therapy, according to this study, is relaxation.²

Types of Art Therapy Used for Anxiety

There are different art therapy modalities that can be used in art therapy to manage anxiety, even for people who do not consider themselves skilled in the arts or especially creative. A wide range of techniques within art therapy can be effective for anxiety, including mandala creation, free painting, and using coloring pages for anxiety.

Some art therapy modalities for anxiety include:

• Painting
• Sculpting
• Drawing
• Photography
• Coloring
• Flower arranging
• Pottery
• Digital art
• Collaging
• Finger painting
• Carving
• Writing
• Doodling
• Textiles

The Connection Between Creativity & Anxiety Relief

Creative expression can be soothing to the nervous system which ultimately reduces anxiety. Creating art or using expressive arts therapy can often result in the experience of “flow state” which has been known to have positive effects on the brain and body which ultimately reduce stress.³ It is no wonder that engaging in activities which produce these physical and emotional benefits would result in decreased experience of emotions such as depression and anxiety.

How Art Therapy Helps With Anxiety Symptoms

Engaging in art therapy for anxiety can lead to reductions in common symptoms such as rumination, stress, and physical tension. Research has found multiple possible benefits of art therapy on different populations. In addition to relaxation, other benefits include: increased mastery over managing anxiety, reacting more effectively to the experience of anxiety, and increased ability to cope with stress.⁴

Art Therapy Examples

In my private practice, I often work with individuals who incorporate art in some way into their daily lives. Many of these individuals have reported finding art gives them a sense of purpose in their lives and they often feel having time to engage in creative endeavors is generally beneficial to their overall mental health as well as for reducing anxiety and depression.

Martha – Using Art to Give Hope

Martha worked in a hospital and often found herself exhausted and burned out from the demands of her job. She was feeling hopeless because her job was to take care of others while not allowing her time and space to take care of herself. Martha was in a place where she was also contemplating suicide because of all the debt she assumed during medical school that she was worried she would never be able to pay off. Martha tried meditation and mindfulness, but it wasn’t helping to relieve her burnout. We used art therapy intermittently in our work together.

Over time, she reported noticing the differences she felt in her body when engaging in creative endeavors including slower heart rate, a reduction in racing thoughts, and having a clearer head. In the same amount of time it took to do meditation or mindfulness, Martha was able to experience relaxation through art therapy. While art therapy didn’t change the challenging circumstances Martha was facing due to the systems she lives and works in, it did give her hope that it is possible to experience a state of relaxation and not be constantly trapped in a space of high stress. In later therapy sessions we noticed that conversations about the future were much more positive, and she no longer contemplated suicide.

Sam – Using Art to Find Purpose

Sam was feeling burned out as a caregiver to his partner who had a chronic illness. Sam was experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress because he felt he had lost a sense of himself outside this role. After several months of art therapy, Sam began to understand his purpose could exist outside of taking care of someone else.

Through exploring various forms of art therapy, Sam found he had a passion for photography and began finding ways to incorporate photography into his daily life; specifically the daily walks he would take in the morning before his partner woke up. Not only did photography provide a creative endeavor that helped Sam reduce stress and find pleasure in an activity just for himself, but it also led to other healthy experiences like spending more time outdoors in nature and getting more exercise. For Sam, art therapy helped him restore a sense of joy and purpose in his life, which was evident in our conversations after he added photography to his routine.

Simone – Using Art to Cope With Grief

Simone was a woman in her mid fifties who was struggling to cope with the recent loss of her husband to cancer. The cancer had progressed quickly after the initial diagnosis and she suddenly found herself living a life she did not expect to live without her husband being a main part of her future plans. They had plans to buy an RV and travel the country together before Sam’s diagnosis. Simone was distraught with grief and wasn’t finding relief through the self-care activities she tried to distract herself and move forward from her pain.

Through our sessions, Simone found painting was a way to effectively tap into her pain and emotions related to grief causing severe anxiety and depression. Over several months, as we did art together, Simone was able to talk about her difficult feelings and begin to think about building a new life plan. I noticed her conversations during therapy were not all about the life lost and over time, Simone began talking more about her new future plans and how she would continue to move forward in her life.

How to Incorporate Art Therapy Into Anxiety Management

Most individuals can start using art therapy as part of their anxiety management strategy. Art therapy can be part of a broader, holistic approach to anxiety treatment. The beauty of art therapy is that it is something people can do on their own as well as in session with a therapist and you don’t need any special skills or talents in order for it to be effective.

At-home Art Therapy Techniques

Simple strategies for using art therapy techniques at home may include having a box or a tote dedicated to art supplies that is readily available to use.

Professional Art Therapy Sessions

There are many factors to consider when thinking about how to find a therapist who offers art therapy. As always it is important to find someone you feel is a good fit for you. You can also do directed searches with filters for criteria including insurance, gender, age and more. Generally professionals who offer art therapy will advertise this on their online profiles.

Coping Strategies to Decrease Anxiety

Here are some tips and strategies that can reduce anxiety symptoms in addition to art therapy:

• Mindfulness and meditation: Often meditation for anxiety and mindfulness exercises can help you remain grounded and reduce stress.
• Exercise: It is commonly known that exercise helps anxiety and reduces stress levels.
• Sleep hygiene: Often sleep and anxiety are linked and improving sleep hygiene can help manage anxiety symptoms.
• Healthy connection: Having healthy and supportive relationships can help manage and reduce anxiety levels.
• Diet and nutrition: Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet as well as being mindful of consuming nutritious foods can help reduce anxiety.
• Work-life balance: Having a balance between work and other important areas of life can be a helpful way to manage anxiety.
• Rest: Getting frequent rest often helps reduce levels of stress and anxiety. It is important to be intentional about making time for and prioritizing rest.

Treatment & Management of Anxiety

There are a variety of anxiety treatments in addition to art therapy that can help reduce anxiety.

Some common treatment options for anxiety include:

• Cognitive behavior therapy: CBT for anxiety helps reduce negative thought patterns associated with anxiety.
• Dialectical behavior therapy: DBT for anxiety helps people learn strategies for managing difficult emotions.
• Medication: Often anxiety medication may help reduce symptoms associated with anxiety.
• Mindfulness therapy: Mindfulness therapy can help individuals create strategies for managing anxiety and reducing stress.
• Interpersonal therapy: Interpersonal therapy uses relational techniques for addressing anxiety.
• Compassion focused therapy: In compassion-focused therapy people learn to Increase self-compassion can help manage and reduce symptoms of anxiety.
• Trauma-informed therapy: Trauma-informed therapy can use a lens of trauma focused care in order to understand how a trauma history may impact anxiety levels.

When to Seek Professional Help for Anxiety

Often anxiety can be difficult to manage without professional help. If anxiety is causing problems at home, at work, in relationships or other important areas of life it is important to seek professional help through therapy. Using an online therapist directory can be an easy way to find someone who is a good fit for you.