Art therapy saved my life

In Jenny’s own words, she talks about how art therapy saved her life.

“Firstly, let me say hello and introduce myself. My name is Jenny* and I had art therapy for approximately two years and it literally saved my life. I had seen many different mental health professionals over a couple of decades prior to my referral for art therapy, none of which fit me or how I needed to express myself.

“So, I want to talk to you about Art Therapy, what it is, how it works and hopefully how it will help you. Maybe not straight away, but at some point, hopefully you will come to see it as a very valuable tool to help yourself either with your therapist or in your own time in your daily life like I did.

“Art Therapy is a form of therapy using art materials that allows you to explain or describe your emotions or difficulties without having to find the right words to make sense out loud. Which for me was such a relief. It isn’t just colouring pens or paint on paper either, it can be clay or many other mediums you can think of including many that haven’t crossed your mind. If you can use a medium to help express yourself then even if it isn’t available, your therapist will try to find some for you.

To give a couple of examples:

“I had chosen in one of my sessions to work with oil pastels and paper. However, as I was holding the pastel in my fingers, I realised I didn’t have to use the pastel to mark the paper, but rather mark the pastel and carved into it to express my pain and anguish. This wasn’t the wrong thing to do. Let me be clear on that. I wasn’t judged for defacing a valuable tool that other people may need. I was told it was a good thing because I had used it to express myself.

“Another time, I felt the urge to use Tipp-Ex on paper or card and once it was dry to scratch into it as a way of expressing myself. There wasn’t any available in the room, so my therapist went to search and get some. It was purchased for me to use at the next session.

“ So, don’t feel intimidated about using things ‘properly’. There is no right or wrong way, as long as you’re creating, which is the whole point. You don’t need any previous experience or ability other than being able to decide to start something. No one but you and your therapist will ever see what you create, this is a massive trust relationship you can count on.

“Art therapy, works if you work at it. You may feel silly or like it’s a waste of time. It wasn’t for me.

“The act of creating something, even just for example painting a whole page with a single colour is you working for your own health. Your therapist is a vital part of this journey you are about to take. They will be able to understand with a little help, or even translate your work for you sometimes.

“The idea is to allow yourself to be free to communicate through creative mediums to enable you to get help and talk a little if you can. If not, in that session, then at a later date about what it represents to you. To be able to say through creating what you fear or hate or love or struggle with.

“The therapist won’t even have to watch all the time if you don’t want them to. They will respect your wishes.

“Please give it a go, like I said, it really helped me and through working together with my therapist, my life is becoming mine again and I’m very grateful to them.”

Jenny - Thank you for sharing your story.

*names have been changed to protect patient confidentiality