Skip to main content
HomeSpecialistsBusinessBlogContact us
العربيةFor care providersBook a session
Skip to article text

Art therapy: What to expect from sessions

Fahad AlmalikMedical review: Tatmeen team9 min read
قصاصات ورق وقماش وورق مقوّى بألوان ترابية وزرقاء وخضراء، مع طلاء ودوائر وخطوط.
Article contents
  1. How is art therapy different from making art?
  2. What a session can look like
  3. What is known about benefits?
  4. If treatment is for your child
  5. Useful questions before starting
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. Sources and references
  8. Writer and reviewer

You do not need to be good at drawing1 to start art therapy. You might draw, model or use other materials with a qualified practitioner, talking as you work or spending some time quietly. What matters is how taking part relates to the difficulty you are seeking help for, rather than how good the picture or object looks. If you are considering it for yourself or your child, start by asking why this approach is being suggested and what you hope it will help with.

How is art therapy different from making art?

You might enjoy colouring or feel more at ease while making something. You can keep that space in your day. But a colouring book or drawing workshop does not become psychotherapy simply by being called “art therapy.”

Art therapy involves a practitioner trained in art and therapy, assessment of the need, goals, professional boundaries and review. The American Art Therapy Association distinguishes ordinary art activities and products2 from the service provided by a qualified art therapist. That distinction helps you understand what you are paying for and what you can expect.

What a session can look like

Sessions may be individual or in a group3, depending on the need and service. Materials might include pencils, paints, clay or paper for collage. You choose what suits you within what is available and safe. In some approaches, the practitioner suggests a particular activity that serves the plan's goals. You might make art while talking or work quietly, then discuss what you want to talk about.

In a hypothetical example, someone makes a shape from clay, then says, "I don't know what it represents." The practitioner might ask, "Would you like to talk about what making it was like, or leave it for now?" The person can choose to talk or carry on working quietly. Not every piece needs an explanation, and you do not have to tell a painful story to take part.

If they say while working, "I remembered a time when I needed help but didn't ask," the practitioner might ask, "What made it difficult to ask?" That conversation could explore a situation in the person's life and what they want to become easier. It follows what the person says about their experience, rather than a meaning the practitioner assigns to the clay. This is one way making something and reflecting on it1 may help someone discuss an experience or relationship9 and work towards an agreed goal. It does not promise that making artwork will bring improvement.

Ask beforehand about potential benefits, risks and alternatives4, the approach, and adjustments if materials or activities bother you. The work may bring up difficult feelings9 during or after a session. Ask how to discuss them, whom to contact and what happens if you want to stop or try another option. Explanations, consent and knowing the alternatives belong in the decision to start, rather than being left until afterwards.

What is known about benefits?

The name “art therapy” does not guarantee the same result for everyone. Studies differ in their participants, approach and goals. Benefits therefore need to be discussed in relation to your concern and the proposed plan, rather than a long list of disorders.

For example, a small US trial involving 22 children5 with asthma found improvements in some anxiety and quality-of-life measures with an art therapy programme. The frequency of asthma attacks did not differ between groups. This is a limited finding in a chronic-illness setting, not evidence that art treats asthma or suits every child.

In a larger UK trial involving 417 adults6 with schizophrenia, offering group art therapy alongside usual care did not improve the primary mental health and global functioning outcomes. This does not rule out every possible benefit from art or answer questions about treating children. It does show why a general promise of success across conditions is unjustified.

Ask the practitioner what the evidence supports for your situation, what the alternatives are and whether art therapy would be part of a wider plan. If you are receiving other treatment, discuss how care will be coordinated4. Do not change prescribed medication or treatment based on an art activity or this article.

If treatment is for your child

Before choosing a method, the child's difficulty and needs must be understood. If worrying feelings or behaviours persist or affect school, sleep or relationships, start with an assessment by a professional experienced with children. If behaviour is unsafe or the child talks about hurting themselves or others, seek immediate professional help7. If there is an immediate danger, seek emergency help at once. Do not use a drawing to decide whether the concern is “serious enough.”

There is no single suitable age or session schedule for every child. Ask how the practitioner takes account of your child's development, understanding, communication and sensory or movement needs. Enjoying drawing alone is not enough to decide that this treatment is suitable. Disliking a particular material does not mean the child is rejecting all help.

Some meetings might be with the child, others with you, and the plan may include a shared activity. Ask what your role will be, who gives consent to treatment8 and how sessions will be explained to your child and their views included according to their understanding. Agree what progress information you receive, what remains private and when safety requires information to be shared4.

A drawing is not a diagnosis

Using black alone does not establish depression, and leaving someone out of a picture does not establish conflict or abuse. Do not judge a child's health or what happened to them from a colour, shape or single picture. A practitioner may discuss artwork in the context of the therapeutic relationship and assessment4. That is different from assigning fixed meanings to symbols without considering the child and their life.

If your child shows you a picture, you might say: “Would you like to tell me about it?” Leave the choice with them if they do not want to. Avoid questions that supply your own interpretation, such as “You drew this because you're scared of that person, didn't you?” If your child directly describes being harmed or fearing for their safety, take what they say seriously; do not ask for a picture to confirm it. In Saudi Arabia, 1919 receives reports of domestic violence and child abuse10 inside and outside the family around the clock. If there is immediate danger, seek emergency help immediately rather than wait for a therapy session or the outcome of a report.

Agree with the practitioner how artwork will be stored4, who sees it and whether it will be photographed or shared outside treatment. At home, do not post a personal picture or show it to others as “proof” of the child's feelings.

Useful questions before starting

What you want to understand A question to ask
The practitioner's competence What is your core qualification, art therapy training and supervision, and experience with this need? How can I verify your authorization to provide care where you practise?
Why this approach Why do you suggest art therapy here? What are the potential benefits, risks and other options?
Participation Will activities be structured or will I choose them? What can change if something does not suit me or my child?
Privacy and artwork Who sees the work? Where is it stored? Is it photographed or used for teaching or publication? What consent is needed for each use?
Progress and changing the plan What change will we look for in daily life? When do we review the plan? How do I get in touch if distress increases or sessions no longer suit us?

A short workshop certificate does not, by itself, establish competence to provide psychotherapy. Titles and licensing differ between countries. Ask about qualifications, training and actual professional authorization2 rather than relying on the service's name.

When reviewing treatment, do not use the quality of the artwork as the measure of success. Look for your agreed goals, such as being better able to express a need or take part in daily life, depending on what the plan addresses. Tell the practitioner about worrying changes. Do not assume increasing distress is a necessary sign of improvement. You can discuss adjusting or changing the approach4 if it no longer fits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be good at drawing to start art therapy?

No. You might draw, model or use other materials with a qualified practitioner, talking as you work or spending some time quietly. What matters is how taking part relates to the difficulty you are seeking help for, rather than how good the picture or object looks. Not every piece needs an explanation, and you do not have to tell a painful story to take part.

How is art therapy different from making art?

Art therapy involves a practitioner trained in art and therapy, assessment of the need, goals, professional boundaries and review. A colouring book or drawing workshop does not become psychotherapy simply by being called “art therapy”, even if you enjoy it. A short workshop certificate does not, by itself, establish competence to provide psychotherapy, so ask about qualifications, training and actual professional authorization.

What happens in an art therapy session?

Sessions may be individual or in a group. Materials might include pencils, paints, clay or paper for collage, and you choose what suits you within what is available and safe. In some approaches, the practitioner suggests a particular activity that serves the plan's goals. You might make art while talking or work quietly, then discuss what you want to talk about. Not every piece needs an explanation.

Does art therapy work?

The name “art therapy” does not guarantee the same result for everyone. A small US trial involving 22 children with asthma found improvements in some anxiety and quality-of-life measures, but the frequency of asthma attacks did not differ between groups. In a larger UK trial involving 417 adults with schizophrenia, group art therapy alongside usual care did not improve the primary outcomes. Ask the practitioner what the evidence supports for your situation and what the alternatives are.

Can a child's drawing show what they feel or what happened to them?

No single colour, shape or picture shows a child's health or what happened to them; leaving someone out of a picture does not establish conflict or abuse.

If your child directly describes being harmed or fearing for their safety, take what they say seriously; do not ask for a picture to confirm it. In Saudi Arabia, 1919 receives reports of domestic violence and child abuse inside and outside the family around the clock. If there is immediate danger, seek emergency help immediately rather than wait for a therapy session or the outcome of a report.

Writing and article review

Fahad AlmalikWritten byFahad Almalik

Content writer and researcher at Tatmeen, writing in Arabic and English about mental health and everyday life, from relationships and stress to work, habits, and family.

Tatmeen teamMedical reviewTatmeen team

Every Tatmeen article is reviewed by care providers licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, so what you read is accurate and trustworthy.

How we write and reviewSpotted an error? Tell us

This article builds understanding and does not replace a licensed care provider.

Need someone to talk to?

Tatmeen's licensed care providers are available around the clock, and the app's urgent consultation connects you with one within minutes.

Talk to a care provider

In immediate danger?

If you or someone you know is in danger, call an ambulance on 997 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Emergency numbers

Was this article helpful?

Add us to Google
All articles

Talk to a care provider

Your session, remotely and your way: voice, video or text.

  • Licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties
  • Available around the clock
  • Complete privacy and confidentiality
All care providers

One step for you, start now

Download Tatmeen to explore care providers and booking options.

  • Smart matchingFour quick questions suggest the right care provider
  • Urgent consultationTalk to an available care provider within minutes
  • Free psychological measuresMore than 20 tests to understand how you are doing

Scan to download