By Alexandra Codella ’17

Therapy is known as a treatment to help express and deal with mental o1r psychological disorders, but why do people underestimate the power of art therapy?

Art therapy is a method using painting, drawing or modeling to help encourage self-expression through their work. A huge misconception about art therapy is that it is only for kids and that you need to be a good artist. According to art therapist Catherine Codella and art teacher Ms. Rizzi, this is not the case.

“Art therapy is unique due to its way of communicating thoughts and feelings without using words. It helps people express how they feel without having to talk,” art therapist Catherine Codella said. “I work with all different ages, from children to the elderly.”

It comes in forms such as painting, clay sculpture and drawing.

This form of therapy allows people who may feel uncomfortable opening up to someone tell their story through art. This allows someone to open up without even talking but by just simply expressing themselves through their art.

With the many different types of therapy methods you can choose from such as counselling therapy, family therapy, dance therapy, music therapy and clay therapy, sometimes art therapy gets lost in the mix.

“Art therapy is known to be very beneficial in also helping people just stay relaxed,” Ms. Rizzi said. “It also helps focus people which can quiet their mind without using medication.”

As a more natural way to deal with depression, anxiety and other mental illness, art therapy leaves patients feeling more confident about themselves without the use of medication.

Whether it be doodling or a well thought out project, art therapy lets people show how they are feeling without even realizing it. “Art therapy can lead many who are not comfortable talking about their feelings use painting or drawing help tell their stories better,” Ms. Rizzi said.

Using art can also help people pour out their emotions that they have been hiding or bottling up. By putting a paint brush and a pen in one’s hand, someone struggling with anxiety or depression can drift to a place where they feel relaxed and that they are just drawing to draw. The pressure in thinking of the right answer is then lifted off their shoulders when they can focus on art.

Art therapy is a great strategy that everyone should use to express themselves and to heal mentally. “I never tried art therapy but when I love art and when I draw it makes me feel relaxed,” said senior Jovanna Bartelloni.