What Are the Types of Art Therapy in Austin, TX?
Art therapy isn’t monolithic; art therapy is the name of a profession, and within that profession lie many different types. So let’s find out what type of art therapy is right for you! That way you can compare apples to apples—instead of comparing apples to oranges—when you’re shopping for an art therapist.
Three Categories of Art Therapy “Types”
It’s helpful to break down the types of art therapy into categories. Three main categories of art therapy types are: the type of people served, the type of problem addressed, and the type of approach used.
Digging a little deeper into this collection of apples and oranges will help you understand what category best suits your needs. When all is said and done, there is no one-size-fits-all type of art therapy in Austin, TX.
Category 1: Type of People Served by Art Therapy in Austin, TX
First, let’s look at art therapy through the lens of “type of people served”. An art therapist whose practice is geared to help particular populations is prepared to help these specific people deal with and heal from the experiences they’ve had in conjunction with their life as that kind of person. This is a 360˚ view of the individual and takes into consideration their personal and professional life circumstances as well as the issues that often go along with these.
“Type of People” Examples: Therapists, Physicians, Nurses, Clergy Members, and Dentists
I am prepared to help a lot of people as an art therapist in Austin, TX, but I focus on addressing the needs of people in the helping professions—therapists, physicians, nurses, clergy members, dentists, etc. These people share a personal background that likely includes family-of-origin messages that rewarded them for tending to the needs of others and did not reward them for recognizing their own needs.
Helping professionals also receive their training in programs and institutions that further prioritize selflessness, and this can lead to a loss of a sense of self as workplace and workforce norms reinforce ideas about self-sacrifice. The result is often emotional and physical fatigue, negative views of the world and one’s ability to create change within it, and the absorption of work-related stories and images that are toxic and traumatizing. These special people need special care from an art therapist who understands the makings of a helping professional and has a clear view of the path forward so progress can be made toward relieving and refreshing them.
Category 2: Type of Problem Addressed by Art Therapy in Austin, TX
Now let’s explore art therapy that addresses a certain type of problem. Problems don’t specify an association with a certain kind of individual—they stand on their own and can be experienced by a wide variety of people at almost any age. An art therapist who is in practice to treat a certain type of problem can help just about anyone who comes to them about that issue, regardless of their life circumstances.
Art therapists who focus on addressing a particular type of problem are knowledgeable about that issue and how it can manifest in a person’s life. They’re also knowledgeable about how to treat the problem; they focus their continuing education efforts on learning more about the issue and ways to help others recover from or manage it.
“Type of Problem” Examples: Anxiety & Overwhelm, Depression, Stress & Burnout, and Imposter Syndrome
Anxiety and overwhelm, depression, stress and burnout, and imposter syndrome are examples of problems someone might show up in therapy to deal with. These are problems I can treat as an art therapist in Austin, TX because I’m often dealing with these things in the helping professionals I serve, and due to my education and training, I’m competent to treat those issues in other people too.
Category 3: Type of Approach Used by the Art Therapist in Austin, TX
Last, let’s examine art therapy by the type of approach used. This means a lot of things—but it generally gets down to what theoretical framework the art therapist uses when treating others and how this meshes with the therapist’s personal style and the particular therapeutic methods they’ve received specialized training in.
A theoretical framework helps the art therapist “decipher” a client’s story so they can understand it in terms of challenges, strengths, threats, and opportunities. The strengths and opportunities are then used to overcome or counter the challenges and threats.
The theoretical framework used by the art therapist dictates their relational style and the methods they use. Some clients are very particular about working with an art therapist who has a certain style when interacting with them. Other clients are more concerned about working with an art therapist who has been trained in a certain kind of intervention.
“Type of Approach” Examples: Integrative, Collaborative, Individualized, Embodied, and Experiential
My art therapy practice is grounded in a theoretical framework called the Expressive Therapies Continuum, and this model helps me translate a client’s verbalizations, artmaking process, and art products into different kinds of nervous system activity. From there, I can better understand how the client’s nervous system interacts with the external world so I can work with the client to make decisions about engaging in interventions that integrate physical, emotional, and/or intellectual functions that are out of balance.
The integrative framework I use favors a therapist style that is collaborative rather than therapist-led, an approach that is individualized rather than protocol-driven, and interventive methods that are embodied and experiential rather than verbal. As such, I can work with people whose primary criteria for an art therapist in Austin are centered around integrative treatment, a collaborative relationship, and an individualized approach that relies on embodied and experiential methods.
What Type of Art Therapy in Austin, TX Do You Need?
I hope learning more about these three types of art therapy—the type of people served, the type of problem addressed, and the type of approach used—has been helpful in your quest to find the best art therapist for YOU. Like I said, there is no one-size-fits-all type of art therapy; you can’t compare apples to oranges and expect to find the perfect art therapist for your needs! Whichever “type” category mentioned here best suits you is the type of art therapy you should be looking for.
Contact Me for a Free Art Therapy Consultation
Most art therapists offer a free consultation to help you determine whether they’re the right one for you, and I offer this too! If you’re a helping professional; if you’re experiencing anxiety and overwhelm, depression, stress and burnout, or imposter syndrome; or if you want integrative treatment within a collaborative relationship that supports an individualized approach and uses embodied and experiential methods, please contact me to find out if I’m the best art therapist in Austin, TX to support you in reigniting your creative spark. It’s never too late to create a better outcome for yourself!