Art Therapy and It’s Benefits for Eating Disorder Treatment
written by Abby Smolinske, LMHC-A, ATR-P
What is art therapy?
Simply put, art therapy is mental health counseling but with the incorporation of art within sessions. It is the use of art materials, the creative journey, and the finished art piece as a therapeutic tool in the healing process (ATCB). Art therapy is grounded in theory and is a growing field within mental health. Art therapists are trained in both therapy and art. Art therapy sessions are not necessarily art lessons; they are grounded in counseling techniques, human development, and psychological theories (ATCB). Art therapists are master’s level counselors with an expansive knowledge of the intersection between mental health and the creative process. All ages are appropriate for participation in art therapy and it works well in both individual and group settings.
What does art therapy offer?
At times, talking about how we feel can be challenging, especially when we may not even know the words to express those feelings. Maybe we are too young to developmentally have the tools of verbal expression or maybe we have past traumas that are buried deep within and are unable to be accessed through verbal processing. Art therapy offers a method of communicating that does not rely solely on words or verbal communication. Through art and the creative process, one can express and explore feelings and difficult topics that are challenging to put into words or may even be subconsciously impacting one’s life and are inaccessible from the cognitive level.
Art therapy theory works through a framework called the Expressive Therapies Continuum (Hinz, 2020). This continuum places emphasis on a variety of areas including sensory, kinesthetic, affective, perceptual, cognitive, and symbolic. Whereas traditional talk therapy may rely heavily on the cognitive level through verbal processing, art therapy can approach treatment through some other levels as well, if verbal processing is difficult for some. This could look like the experience of manipulating clay for the first time since childhood (sensory level), the movement of the body while painting on a large canvas (kinesthetic level), or the emotions expressed by the process of making a self-portrait with water colors (affective level).
On the other hand, some individuals may find that they rely heavily on the cognitive level; rationalizing and intellectualizing their problems in order to keep distance between themselves and the emotions they feel. Art therapy can help these individuals find a way to access these emotions through a level other than cognitive in order to further process past experiences and explore emotions that come up on a deep level.
Eating Disorders and Art Therapy
It is not uncommon for individuals struggling with eating disorders to fall into either of the two categories mentioned above, unable to put words to what is being experienced internally or relying predominantly on the cognitive level to create distance between one’s self and one’s emotions through intellectualizing or rationalizing. Art therapy can be a tool used to confront one’s eating disorder and create an individualized path to recovery.
There are many overarching themes that present in eating disorder recovery. Some of these themes that can be addressed through the use of art therapy include:
Perfectionism. Often, those in recovery recognize perfectionist thinking as a factor that contributes to eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. It shows up in art as well. For example, by challenging individuals to use permanent materials such as sharpies or paint as opposed to pencil, something that can be erased and redone, it offers an exposure to challenge perfectionist thinking and find a way to accept imperfection in the safe environment of the therapy room.
Identity. Identity can get lost within an eating disorder. Using art can allow one to confront their authentic self or expose parts of the self that have been denied or split off (Hinz, 2006).
Creating distance between eating disorder and self. Going hand in hand with identity, it is important to create distance between oneself and the eating disorder, which can often be enmeshed. For example, by creating an image of ones eating disorder, this can begin to create the clarity that the eating disorder is that image, separate from the self and not one’s identity.
Recovery. Recovery is not linear and often involves internal conflict between the desire to recover and one’s eating disorder. As Lisa Hinz (2006) notes, “art is an effective container for, and liberator from, the ambivalence that can be felt about recovery.”
There are many other important themes covered within art therapy and eating disorder recovery, as well as themes that are unique to the individual that should be addressed. Art therapy is a great tool to create an individualized approach that fits best for each client while using the creative process within the healing journey.
References
ATCB (n.d.). What is art therapy? Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc. https://atcb.org/what-is-art-therapy/
Hinz, L. D. (2006). Drawing from within: Using art to treat eating disorders. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Philadelphia, PA.
Hinz, L. D. (2020). Expressive Therapies Continuum: A framework for using art in therapy. Routledge. New York, NY.
