Art therapy program

In rehab, therapists construct individualized treatment plans around each patients’ goals and needs. They choose addiction therapy services that fit your individual needs and have been proven to help others achieve successful, long term recovery. One of the most beneficial types of therapy is art therapy, which can help you break through roadblocks in your treatment. Art therapy combines individual counseling, group therapy, relapse prevention and skills-focused programs to help you create a better life.

At Lakeview Health, we design art therapy programs around our therapist’s specific approaches as well as evidence-based outcomes. These holistic therapy programs allow you to explore your own creativity and imagination in art projects while learning to express yourself in new, healthy, and productive ways.

Types of art often used in an art therapy program include:

Art therapy programs can teach you new skills and means of expressing yourself that will carry over into your future. You can utilize these skills to relieve stress and communicate your thoughts. You can even tap into talents and interests you never explored before.

SAMHSA describes art therapy in its published guide, Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy. This description says that it is expressive group therapy, one enabling people to express deeply hidden thoughts and feelings that would be difficult to communicate verbally. In fact, an art therapy program works very well for people with a history of abuse or for those suffering from mental health problems.

This program works well in addiction treatment because it helps you to understand and manage your addiction. Art learned in your therapy provides new coping skills that explore parts of yourself not explained verbally. Sharing art in your program also helps you better understand your peers in treatment, bringing you closer to them while increasing your compassion for their experiences and feelings.

Lakeview Health uses art therapy as part of a mix of techniques and approaches for your healing and recovery. In this regard, it is one aspect of a well-rounded treatment program suited to your individual needs. Programs and approaches typically include:

Overall, it works well for helping you work through past experiences and emotions that may have contributed to substance abuse and addiction. Through art, you gain a safe space for communicating your deepest thoughts and feelings without stumbling over words. It gives you a new way of healing without relying only on Talk Therapy.