Arts Therapy

Arts therapy is a form of psychological therapy that uses creative expression—such as art, music, drama or movement—alongside a trained therapist. It can help people explore emotions, experiences and patterns when talking alone feels difficult.

Sessions are tailored to the individual and focus on safety, meaning-making and practical coping over time.

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Arts therapy (also called creative arts therapy) is a psychological therapy where the creative process is used as part of therapeutic work. You do not need to be “good” at art or creative activities. The emphasis is on expression and exploration, supported by a qualified therapist.

What happens in arts therapy?

Sessions usually include time to create (for example drawing, painting, working with materials, music or movement) and time to reflect. The therapist may help you notice themes, emotions and patterns that emerge, and connect these to your life experiences and goals.

Some people find it easier to express complex feelings through images, sound or movement than through conversation alone, particularly when experiences are hard to put into words.

What can arts therapy help with?

Anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed
Depression and low mood
Trauma and difficult life experiences (with appropriate trauma-informed care)
Grief and bereavement
Self-esteem and identity exploration
Emotional regulation and coping skills

How long does it take?

Arts therapy can be short-term or longer-term depending on your needs. A good therapist will agree goals and review points with you, and check regularly whether the work is helping.

Choosing an arts therapist in the UK

Look for clear information about training, ethical practice, confidentiality and safeguarding. If you have complex trauma, dissociation, or high-risk symptoms, consider a practitioner experienced in trauma-informed work and integrated support.

History of Arts Therapy

Arts therapies developed through the 20th century as clinicians and educators explored how creative expression could support emotional wellbeing and psychological healing. Different disciplines emerged, including art psychotherapy, music therapy, drama therapy and dance movement psychotherapy.

In the UK today, arts therapy is used in a range of settings, from private practice to community and healthcare services, with a focus on safe, structured therapeutic work supported by trained professionals.

Typical conditions that use Arts Therapy

Condition	Evidence	Notes
Acne-related confidence concerns	moderate	Arts therapy lets people express feelings about their appearance non-verbally, easing shame when acne knocks self-esteem.
Addiction / dependency support	moderate	Arts therapy gives a non-verbal outlet to process feelings tied to dependency, complementing established recovery treatment.
Anger issues	moderate	Offers a non-verbal outlet to express and process anger through making, which some find helpful alongside, not instead of, professional support.
Anxiety	moderate	Useful where creative expression helps process and regulate anxious feelings.
Autism / ASC support	moderate	Art, music and drama therapies offer non-verbal ways for autistic clients to express feelings and ease emotional overwhelm.
Bipolar disorder (support alongside medical care)	moderate	Creative expression offers a safe outlet to process the emotional highs and lows of bipolar disorder when words alone feel hard to find.
Body image concerns	moderate	Arts therapy lets you express difficult feelings about your body non-verbally, which can be a gentler route into exploring self-image.
Cancer emotional support (men)	moderate	Arts therapy offers men a non-verbal outlet to process difficult emotions about their cancer when words feel hard to find.
Caregiver stress	moderate	Arts therapy offers carers a non-verbal outlet for feelings that are hard to put into words, easing isolation and strain.
Chronic illness adjustment	moderate	Arts therapy gives a non-verbal outlet to express the frustration and loss tied to chronic illness when words feel difficult to find.
Complex PTSD	moderate	Provides a non-verbal, creative way to express and process overwhelming traumatic memories that are hard to put into words.
Compulsive behaviours	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal way to express the tension and anxiety behind compulsions, which some find helps loosen their grip.
Depression	moderate	A non-verbal route to expression and motivation when depression makes words hard.
Domestic abuse recovery support (sensitive)	moderate	Arts Therapy offers a non-verbal way to express abuse experiences that feel hard to speak; a complementary support with limited evidence, alongside proper care.
Eating disorder recovery support (alongside specialist care)	moderate	Art, music or drama therapy offers a non-verbal way to express feelings about body and control that can be hard to put into words in recovery.
Emotional dysregulation (neurodiversity)	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal outlet for overwhelming feelings, useful when neurodivergent clients struggle to put intense emotions into words.
Emotional eating	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal outlet for emotions that might otherwise be expressed through food; evidence is limited and it works best alongside other support.
Emotional regulation difficulties	moderate	Uses creative expression to give shape to feelings that are hard to put into words, supporting steadier emotional processing.
Family conflict	moderate	Arts therapy gives family members, especially children, a non-verbal way to express tensions and feelings that are hard to put into words.
Fatherhood adjustment	moderate	Arts therapy gives fathers a non-verbal way to process the upheaval and mixed emotions of a new baby; it is best used alongside, not instead of, appropriate professional care.
Friendship difficulties	moderate	Through creative expression, arts therapy can help you explore feelings about loneliness or social conflict that are hard to put into words.
Gambling problems	moderate	Arts therapy can help you express the shame, anxiety and tension tied to gambling when words feel difficult, complementing other treatment.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)	moderate	A creative outlet for processing and regulating chronic anxiety.
Grief and bereavement	moderate	A gentle, non-verbal way to express and process loss.
Guilt	moderate	Creative expression can give shape to guilt that is hard to put into words, supporting reflection and gentler self-understanding.
Hair loss-related distress	moderate	Creative expression can give voice to feelings about altered appearance that are hard to put into words after hair loss.
Imposter syndrome	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal way to explore feelings of inadequacy and self-worth; evidence is limited, so it complements rather than replaces talking therapy.
Intimacy concerns	moderate	Creative expression can help explore feelings about closeness that are hard to put into words; used as a supportive aid alongside appropriate professional care.
Intimacy difficulties	moderate	Creative expression can offer a gentler, non-verbal way to explore feelings about closeness; evidence here is limited and it works best as a complement to other support.
Irritability	moderate	Arts therapy gives a non-verbal outlet for pent-up frustration, helping you notice and release irritable feelings as they build.
Jealousy	moderate	Creative expression can help give shape to jealous feelings that are hard to voice; it offers supportive insight, though evidence here is limited.
Language and communication difficulties (speech/language)	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal route to express and rehearse meaning, helping those who struggle with speech to communicate through images, music or movement.
Leadership coaching goals	moderate	Arts therapy offers a creative, supportive way for leaders to reflect on their style and values, though evidence here is limited.
Learning difficulties support (non-diagnostic)	moderate	Offers a non-verbal, creative outlet that supports self-expression, emotional regulation and confidence when words or written tasks feel difficult.
Life transitions / adjustment issues	moderate	Arts therapy offers a creative, non-verbal way to process feelings about a life change when words alone feel hard to find.
Loneliness	moderate	Arts therapy gives a non-verbal outlet for expressing isolation and can foster a sense of connection that words alone sometimes cannot reach.
Long-term condition coping	moderate	Provides a creative outlet to express feelings about illness that are hard to put into words, supporting emotional adjustment.
Low confidence	moderate	Builds a sense of agency and self-expression that supports confidence.
Low mood	moderate	Creative expression can rebuild motivation and emotional connection in small, manageable steps.
Low mood in men	moderate	Creative expression may give men a non-verbal outlet for low mood; evidence is limited, so use it alongside professional support.
Low motivation	moderate	Reignites engagement and motivation through creative activity.
Low self-esteem	moderate	Builds self-expression and a sense of worth through creativity.
Menopause symptoms	moderate	Supports adjustment to the identity and body changes of menopause.
Motivation and goal setting	moderate	Creative expression can help clarify aspirations and surface motivations when words alone feel hard, supporting goal-focused reflection.
Panic attacks	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal way to express and process the fear behind panic; evidence is limited and it complements professional support.
Parenting stress	moderate	Creative expression can offer parents a gentle outlet for tension; evidence is limited, so use it alongside proper support.
Pelvic pain	moderate	A non-verbal outlet for the frustration and distress of living with pelvic pain.
People pleasing	moderate	Arts therapy can offer an indirect way to explore suppressed needs and resentment; evidence is limited and it complements appropriate care.
Perfectionism	moderate	Arts therapy offers a low-pressure, non-verbal outlet to explore the self-criticism of perfectionism; it works best alongside other support.
Performance anxiety	moderate	Offers a creative outlet to express and explore the pressures driving performance anxiety, which can help build self-assurance over time.
Phobias	moderate	Arts therapy lets you express and externalise the fear through creative work, which can support but not replace appropriate treatment.
Postnatal emotional support	moderate	A non-verbal outlet for the intense, mixed feelings that can follow birth.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)	moderate	Arts therapy lets you express trauma that is hard to put into words, offering a gentler route to processing painful PTSD memories.
Procrastination	moderate	Arts therapy can offer a low-pressure way to explore feelings behind avoidance; evidence is limited and it should support, not replace, proper care.
Psoriasis stress impact support	moderate	Creative expression offers a non-verbal outlet for the frustration and body-image distress of living with visible psoriasis patches.
Relationship conflict	moderate	Using creative work to voice feelings that are hard to say aloud, it can ease tension and open up stalled conversations between partners.
Relationship stress (men)	moderate	Arts therapy gives men a non-verbal outlet to express feelings about a relationship that are hard to put into words; evidence here is limited and it complements other care.
Resilience building	moderate	Creative expression can help you process feelings and discover inner resources; a supportive aid alongside other resilience-building approaches.
Rumination / overthinking	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal outlet for tangled thoughts and feelings; evidence is limited, so use it alongside appropriate professional care.
Self-harm thoughts (sensitive)	moderate	Creative expression can give voice to painful feelings behind self-harm when words are hard, supporting safer release.
Separation / divorce support	moderate	Creative expression offers a gentle way to process complex feelings about a break-up that are hard to put into words; evidence is limited, so use it alongside appropriate professional support.
Sexual difficulties	moderate	Arts therapy can offer an indirect, less confronting way to explore the emotions and shame tied to sexual difficulties.
Shame	moderate	Arts therapy lets you express and externalise shame through creative work when feelings feel too difficult to put into words.
Sleep anxiety	moderate	Provides a creative outlet to express the worries surrounding sleep, offering supportive relief rather than a standalone treatment for anxiety.
Social anxiety	moderate	Arts therapy provides a non-verbal way to express social fears and self-consciousness when words feel difficult, best used alongside appropriate professional care.
Social isolation	moderate	Arts therapy gives a non-verbal route to express loneliness and reconnect, used as a supportive aid alongside other care; evidence here is limited.
Stammering (stuttering)	moderate	Arts therapy provides a non-verbal outlet to express the emotions around stammering, which some find supportive alongside speech therapy.
Stress	moderate	Creative expression gives an outlet for stress and supports coping when words are hard.
Stroke recovery support (adjunct)	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal way to express emotion and rebuild confidence after stroke; evidence is limited, so it supports rather than replaces clinical care.
Trauma after accident or assault	moderate	Creative expression can offer a non-verbal way to process the assault or accident; evidence is limited and it supports professional treatment.
Trust issues	moderate	Creative expression can give voice to feelings of betrayal that are hard to say aloud; used as a complementary support, the evidence is limited and it should not replace appropriate professional care.
Weight management (behaviour change support)	moderate	Arts therapy can offer a non-verbal way to explore feelings tied to eating; evidence is limited, so use it to complement dietary and clinical care.
Workplace stress	moderate	Arts therapy offers a non-verbal way to express and release work-related tension, which some people find easier than talking it through.
Burnout	moderate	A restorative, non-verbal outlet when burnout has left you too depleted to put things into words.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need art or music skills?

No. The process focuses on expression and meaning, not artistic ability.

What happens in a session?

You may use materials (e.g., drawing, music, movement) and discuss what emerges.

Is it suitable for adults and young people?

Yes. Approaches are adapted to age and context.