Art Therapy

Art Therapy

Art therapy for adults offers a creative and supportive environment to explore how past and present experiences influence thoughts, emotions, and relationships. By combining art-making with psychological insights, this approach allows individuals to access and express emotions that may be difficult to articulate in words. Grounded in psychodynamic and expressive therapies, art therapy helps uncover patterns in thought, emotion, and behavior that contribute to personal challenges. It can be especially beneficial for those navigating anxiety, stress, depression, grief, or loss, as well as for anyone seeking new pathways to personal growth and self-discovery.king about relationships, do any of these items apply to you?

The process of creating art within therapy allows for a safe exploration of unconscious conflicts, internal dynamics, and self-protective strategies that may have developed in response to past emotional experiences. Over time, these defenses are gently examined and transformed, promoting self-awareness, personal growth, and more adaptive ways of coping and relating to others.

The process of creating art within therapy allows for a safe exploration of unconscious conflicts, internal dynamics, and self-protective strategies that may have developed in response to past emotional experiences. Over time, these defenses are gently examined and transformed, promoting self-awareness, personal growth, and more adaptive ways of coping and relating to others.

You don’t need to be an artist or have any prior creative experience to participate in art therapy—everyone is welcome! The focus is not on the final product but on the process of creation and self-expression. Art therapy offers a wide range of materials to help you engage creatively, including traditional art media like paint, pencil crayons, markers, clay, and collage. Additionally, non-traditional materials such as found objects, natural items, and other tactile elements may be incorporated. These varied materials provide opportunities for exploration, self-discovery, and emotional expression in ways that are unique to each individual.

Art therapy is available online and in-person at the Ottawa CFIR office.