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Healing Beyond Words

Art Therapy for Addiction Recovery

Uncover Hidden Emotions in a Creative, Safe Space

Finding Your Voice Through Creativity

For many who are impacted by addiction, words alone cannot express their pain. How is it possible to articulate the impact of trauma, the impact of relapse, or the feeling of anxiety in your chest? That is why, many times, the most significant healing takes place when we stop using words and begin creating.

At Agape Treatment Center, we offer art therapy for addiction recovery as a vehicle to connect your inner world to your outside world. You don’t need artistic ability to benefit from this, only the willingness to be open to exploration. Using color, shape, and texture will allow you to bypass the “reason” or thought process used to rationalize your addiction. This allows you to ultimately access deep emotional feelings in a safe and humane way.

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What is Art Therapy for Addiction Recovery?

Art therapy is a specialized mental health program that uses the art of creativity to enhance one’s physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. Art therapy is much more than just making “arts and crafts” or “having fun.” It is a clinical methodology for addiction treatment that is facilitated by master-level clinicians who will help you to better interpret your creativity and the emotions associated with creating.

Art therapy is open to anyone, regardless of age or artistic ability. Individuals who suffer from “alexithymia” (the inability to identify emotion) will find significant benefit from art therapy, as this is common in those with substance use disorders.[1] The art therapy will take place in a safe and comfortable environment, either in small groups or individually.

At Agape, we integrate art therapy with traditional talk therapies (such as CBT) to promote healing. While talk therapy uses the analytical side of your brain, art therapy engages the creative side of your brain. By using both types of therapies, you engage both sides of your brain for total healing and are able to achieve breakthroughs that would take months to achieve through only talking.

How (and Why) Art Therapy Works

Addiction can often lead to feelings of isolation and repression. If you have struggled with addiction for a long time, it is likely that you have used substances to suppress feelings or painful memories from childhood. As you begin to recover from addiction and work through the recovery process, you may experience a flood of emotions that come to the surface once you have let down your defenses. Art therapy will provide an outlet for those emotions.

Bypassing Defense Mechanisms

When we communicate verbally, we tend to edit our words to make them “acceptable.” When you are using art to express your feelings, these verbal defenses are bypassed. Your subconscious takes over the moment you pick up a piece of paper, pencil, or clay to create. For example, you may be using dark colors to represent a memory or jagged lines as a means of expressing anxious emotions. The therapist may ask you about a certain shape in your art, which can open up a conversation about feelings that may have been closed.

Externalizing the Problem

One of the main tenets of art therapy in treating addiction is the concept of externalization. While you are experiencing emotions, they are part of you, so they feel like they are “you.” However, once you create a representation of the feeling on canvas or in clay, it becomes separate from you. You can see it, speak to it, and make changes to it. The mere act of separating the feeling from yourself is empowering. You will now see “I am a person who is struggling with addiction” as compared to “I am an addict.” The struggle with addiction is now something you can observe and manage.

Regulating the Nervous System

The act of creating (moving a paintbrush, kneading clay, shading a drawing) is inherently calming. The rhythmic and repetitive movements of creating art help to decrease the amount of cortisol in the body and help to balance the nervous system.[2] Creating art for clients in early recovery from substance use will provide a safe haven for them to allow their bodies to relax after going through the high level of anxiety they will experience using the substance.

Healing together

Efficacy of Art Therapy in Recovery

The research on art therapy for addiction supports the idea that utilizing creative therapies in treatment will produce improved outcomes, particularly for individuals (young adults and adults) with co-occurring mental disorders.

Decreasing PTSD Symptoms

Studies suggest that traumatic memories are primarily stored in non-verbal areas of the brain. Many people who experience traumatic events use art to express the visual and sensory aspects of their trauma to help treat their PTSD. Art therapy provides assistance in the treatment of trauma without participants having to verbally describe their traumatic experiences, which significantly reduces the risk of participants being re-traumatized during the treatment process.[3]

Increase in Emotional Intelligence

Research suggests that regular participation in art therapy increases clients’ emotional intelligence.[4] This occurs when clients develop a habit of using art as a way of expressing emotions, which helps clients recognize their emotions outside of art therapy. As a result, you learn to recognize the feeling of “bad” and use healthier coping strategies.

Increase in Social Connection

In a group environment, art therapy creates a unique bond or level of intimacy between group members. Research suggests that the social connection created through art therapy is positively associated with sustained sobriety.[5] Having group members feel that they are seen and understood by the group decreases the likelihood of group members isolating themselves or relapsing.

What to Expect from Art Therapy

Art therapy can seem intimidating if it’s been a while since you’ve picked up a marker or other creative tools. Many people worry about their artistic abilities or question how coloring could help them with serious issues like addiction. The truth is, art therapy for addiction is an exceptionally powerful way of processing emotions without being bound by the limitations of language.
Art therapy provides a safe and creative outlet for you to express complex feelings; you may even feel overwhelmed trying to put them into words. Through painting, drawing, sculpting, and collage, you are able to make your internal struggles visible and manageable.

A typical art therapy session includes:

01

Opening discussion:

Your art therapist will check in with how you are feeling and introduce the day’s creative prompt, thereby setting the intention for the aspect of recovery you will concentrate on that day.

02

Creative expression

The largest part of the session will consist of hands-on techniques using paint, drawing, clay, collage, etc. The area’s focus will be on the personal expression of your artwork rather than on creating an aesthetically pleasing piece.

03

Reflection and processing

Once you have completed your creative process, you will have an opportunity to talk with your therapist about what has come up for you, what has been surprising, or what your self-expression reveals about you.

04

Connection to recovery

Your therapist will help you identify the connections between your insights and your recovery journey. You may be able to identify patterns in your behaviors, recognize progress you have made, or uncover areas of your recovery that you need to focus on.

Agape Wide Range of Treatment

Art Therapy at Agape Treatment Center

At Agape Treatment Center, we provide professional art therapy as part of our comprehensive and holistic approach to treating addiction. Our licensed art therapists focus on the fact that you are complex; you are more than a diagnosis on a chart. You have history, personality, and creativity that addiction may have dampened, but has not taken away from you.

Located in the “Island City” of Wilton Manors, our treatment center offers a dedicated art therapy space where you can be messy, be honest, and be who you are. We combine art therapy with evidence-based treatment modalities to create a comprehensive recovery plan that addresses the mind, body, and spirit of our clients.

Our Approach to Art Therapy

Art therapy is not something “extra” or an afterthought; it is a core component of our clinical curriculum. We do not consider art therapy to be a recreational activity; we consider it to be a significant therapeutic approach that can provide healing that traditional talk therapies may not always address. Some of the core components of our approach to art therapy include:

01

Therapeutic Art-making

All art activities are purposefully designed and facilitated by licensed therapists to address specific goals related to recovery (e.g., processing trauma, regulating emotions, identifying triggers, building self-esteem).

02

Integration with Other Treatment Approaches

We work collaboratively to coordinate art therapy with your individual counseling, group therapy, and additional treatment approaches to ensure that each aspect of your care seamlessly complements the others.

03

Trauma-Informed Practices

A large number of our clients have experienced trauma that contributes to their substance use. Our art therapists are trained to use trauma-informed care, ensuring that you can establish safety and security while participating in art therapy.

04

Non-Judgmental Environment

High-quality supplies and creativity will help you create your artwork without worrying about the aesthetic quality of your creation. All artwork shared or created while receiving art therapy at our treatment center will be treated with the same confidentiality and respect as your medical records.
Art into Healing

Transforming Pain into Art

Your artwork will be a representation of the healing journey you have embarked on while in our care. Whether you are expressing anger through painting or hope through drawing, your Agape therapist will be present to help you channel your creative expression into sober strength. Healing is not solely about stopping the use of drugs; it is rediscovering who you are as an individual and allowing yourself to be creative, feel, and flourish.

Create Your Way to Freedom

You’ve spent enough time keeping your pain locked inside. It’s time to express it, release it, and transform it into something beautiful.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Art Therapy for Addiction

Do I need to be good at art to participate in art therapy?

No. Having talent when creating your artwork may actually hinder your ability to fully engage in creative expression, since you will put too much focus on creating something that looks nice. The primary purpose of art therapy for addiction recovery is to provide an opportunity for art-related creative expression, and not necessarily to create a perfect piece of art.

Is this just for children?

No. Children have a natural ability to express their feelings and emotions through play, but adults need to learn how to express their feelings and emotions due to years of being taught not to express themselves. Art therapy is a very effective and valid process that can be used for adults in hospitals, veterans’ facilities, and rehabilitation centers worldwide.

How does drawing help me stop using drugs?

Drawing will not prevent you from using drugs, but drawing through art therapy will help you identify the emotional triggers that drive your drug addiction. Once you identify your triggers on paper, you will be able to develop tools for managing them. You cannot battle an enemy that you cannot see. Art therapy allows you to see the triggers you are struggling with.

What if I don't know what to draw?

That is completely normal. Art therapists have prompts, themes, and various supplies to help clients begin creating artwork.

Is art therapy covered by insurance?

Art therapy will usually be covered by insurance as long as it is used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, such as PHP or IOP, as it is considered to be a form of clinical therapy. The admissions department will be able to verify if you have insurance benefits to cover art therapy.

Sources

[1] Morie, K. P., Yip, S. W., Nich, C., Hunkele, K., McRae-Clark, A. L., & Potenza, M. N. (2016). Alexithymia and addiction: A review and preliminary data suggesting neurobiological links to reward/loss processing. Current Addiction Reports, 3(2), 217–228. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5040368/

[2] Kaimal, G., Ray, K., & Muniz, J. (2016). Reduction of cortisol levels and participants’ responses following art making. Art Therapy, 33(2), 74–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2016.1166832

[3] Rauch, S. L., van der Kolk, B. A., Fisler, R. E., Alpert, N. M., Orr, S. P., Savage, C. R., Fischman, A. J., Jenike, M. A., & Pitman, R. K. (1996). A symptom provocation study of posttraumatic stress disorder using positron emission tomography and script-driven imagery. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53(5), 380–387. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8624181/

[4] Aletraris, L., Paino, M., Edmond, M. B., Roman, P. M., & Bride, B. E. (2014). The use of art and music therapy in substance abuse treatment programs. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 25(4), 190–196. https://doi.org/10.1097/JAN.0000000000000048

[5] Best, D., & Lubman, D. I. (2012). The recovery paradigm: A model of hope and change for alcohol and drug addiction. Australian Family Physician, 41(8), 593–597. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23145400/