Art Therapy Brisbane

Art therapy is generally used as one part of a broader, individualised approach, rather than as a stand-alone treatment. It is often offered alongside talk-based therapies such as acceptance and commitment therapy, DBT, and within trauma-focused and mindfulness-based care. Because it offers a non-verbal way in — a way to express and explore what is hard to put into words — it can be a valuable part of support for people experiencing a range of difficulties.

Some of the ways art therapy can form part of treatment include:

• Anxiety
  The focused, tactile nature of art-making can be grounding, and can offer a way to give form to worries that are difficult to articulate. It can provide a contained space to notice and explore anxious feelings.

• Post-traumatic stress (PTSD)
  Traumatic experiences can be hard to reach through words alone. As part of trauma-focused care, art therapy offers a non-verbal way to approach and process difficult memories at a manageable pace, without needing to narrate them aloud. You can read more on our trauma therapy page.

• Depression and low mood
  When motivation and words feel out of reach, art therapy can offer a gentle, low-pressure way to engage, to express heavy or difficult feelings, and to experience small moments of focus and accomplishment.

• Prolonged and complicated grief
  Art therapy can provide a way to process loss and the complex, sometimes contradictory feelings that come with it, and to hold and give form to memories of what, or who, has been lost.

• Adjustment difficulties
  When adapting to a significant life change or stressful event feels overwhelming, art therapy can support you to make sense of the transition, and to explore the feelings and shifts in identity that can come with it.

• Autistic children and adults
  For autistic people, art therapy can offer a sensory-aware, non-verbal way to communicate, express and process experiences, supported at each person's own pace. It is not about changing who someone is, but about offering another way to be understood and to explore their inner world.

Some experiences and feelings are difficult to name or talk about directly. Art therapy offers another way in — using image-making and materials to give form to what is going on inside, at a pace that feels manageable.

In a session, your therapist provides a calm, supportive space and a range of materials to work with. There is no pressure to create anything in particular. Together you notice and reflect on what emerges, using the creative process to explore feelings, experiences and patterns in a contained way.

Whether you find words difficult, feel stuck in talk-based therapy, or simply want a different way to explore what you are experiencing, art therapy can be tailored to you.