By: Alejandra Antonio-Trejo

Art therapy is about the process of art rather than the product. It’s a combination of storytelling and finding ways to accept our past and live fully in the world. There are different points of views with this type of therapy because people feel like they aren’t artistic enough to try this technique. The good thing is that Art therapy works in diverse settings.
Facing life-limiting illnesses is hard on patients and family members therefore patients seek comfort care. Studies show that Complementary and alternative medicine can provide benefits for patients by lowering pain, anxiety and depression. Funding art therapy programs can be a problem. A study reports national data on how staffing of therapist varies on hospices. From a survey done on September 2008 through November 2009 the results indicated that only 29% of hospices employed massage, music and art therapist. That number was from (169 of 591) hospices surveyed. Also larger hospices and non-profit organizations tend to work with CAM therapist.
Art therapy as a decolonizing framework was used for a projected called “journey women” with recognition of the impacts colonization and discrimination women face. According to Lucy Lu M.A and Felice Yuen PhD. Art therapy can be integrated with traditional ceremonies to empower indigenous women. Large body-map images were made as a way of expression to exhibit experiences of Aboriginal women. This collaborative research project was conducted by Minwaashin Lodge and Concordia University.
Art therapy helps people express themselves through art rather than words. David E. Gussak, did a study about anger management through a collaborative relationship with male inmates. Through this process there is no judging of artwork rather patients find their own meaning of what they have created. Prisons use art to humanizing inmates as they create gifts to send home and show a more compassionate side to them. People can start off with no skills because the experience is on healing physically and emotionally.