Navigating your relationship with movement: questions
worth asking
Jessica Mackney, Art Psychotherapist
In inpatient mental health settings across Ridgeway and Barnet, young people and adults are often navigating distress, risk, and complexity, where it may not be easy or possible to put experiences into words. As communication and tolerance for different approaches vary, offering a range of therapeutic options to meet individual needs is essential. Art Therapy creates a space for expression without relying on the ‘right’ words, making engagement more accessible and supporting recovery and wellbeing.
What is Art Therapy & How Does it Work?
Art therapy (or Art Psychotherapy) is a regulated, evidence-based form of psychotherapy that uses art materials as a primary way of communicating. In the UK, it’s governed by the Health and Care Professions Council and supported by the British Association of Art Therapists. Alongside core training, art therapists may develop further clinical expertise in areas such as systemic, DBT or mentalisation-based approaches, offering a holistic and integrative approach tailored to individual needs
Art Therapy integrates both the verbal and non-verbal in practice, providing a way to express what might feel overwhelming without the necessity of words.
Use of art materials and the making of artworks allows a degree of distance from overwhelming experiences, making them more manageable to approach and creating a space where individuals can begin to express experiences that might otherwise remain unspoken.
The process is as significant as the final artwork, with no expectation to be ‘good’ at art. Through use of materials and what is made, Art Therapy offers choice, autonomy and active participation in the therapeutic process. Working jointly with the materials alongside the therapist reduces the sense of being observed, allowing trust, safety and connection to build gently. This helps to lower anxiety and increase tolerance for perceived mistakes and uncertainty.
More Than Just Expression
Art Therapy isn’t only about expressing feelings – it engages the whole person. Using a range of materials like paint, clay, or collage brings in a sensory and physical element and can help with grounding and emotional regulation, calming the nervous system and reducing stress.
Shared creative experiences can reduce isolation, helping individuals feel less alone. In addition to individual work, group Art Therapy offers opportunities for connection and joint experiences. Through shared creative processes, people develop a sense of belonging, build interpersonal skills and relationships, and experience validation and empathy from peers who may be navigating similar challenges.
Supporting Recovery & Identity
Recovery isn’t just about reducing symptoms – it’s also about rebuilding a sense of self. Art Therapy plays an important role in supporting recovery, offering a route into communication, connection and reflection, providing a space where difficult feelings or experiences can be explored at a manageable pace. The impact may be seen in subtle but meaningful shifts, for example, an individual may begin to experiment with different art materials or use them in a new way. These changes signal important developments in trust, regulation, and self-understanding. Over time, this process can help individuals develop a more compassionate and integrated sense of who they are, and begin to imagine a future beyond their current struggles.
As well as addressing some of the core challenges in eating disorder presentations, including body image difficulties, emotional regulation and low-self-esteem, Art Therapy can also support individuals to explore identity in a creative way where they can begin to be curious, reshape, and reimagine how they see themselves.
‘Artmaking creates space for play, imagination, and exploration alongside a sense of pride and achievement that can come from making something tangible, building a more positive and compassionate sense of self. Crucially, this pathway towards self-discovery can foster hope – an essential component of recovery.’
Working as Part of a Wider SystemArt Therapy doesn’t sit in isolation but works alongside other modalities, from family therapy to psychological interventions, integrated within the broader system of care. Art Therapy does not replace existing interventions, but rather enriches them and reinforces core treatment aims by offering an embodied, relational, and creative angle towards recovery.
Art Therapy offers a distinct way of understanding someone’s experience, one that isn’t reliant on language or cognitive insight alone and allows individuals to engage at their own pace and in their own way. It can also offer valuable insight into a person’s internal world in ways that aren’t always accessible through conversation alone. These insights can help inform shared understanding within the wider team, supporting more attuned and holistic care.
The Evidence & Why Creative Therapies Matter
There is a growing evidence base supporting Art Therapy within mental health services, with research linking it to improved emotional expression, reduced distress, and increased engagement – particularly for those who struggle with purely verbal approaches. Emerging evidence also highlights its role in areas such as trauma, identity, and body image. In practice, it offers valuable clinical insight, with the use of materials and imagery helping to build a deeper understanding of a person’s internal world and inform formulation and care planning within the wider team.
Ultimately, the value of creative therapies lies in their ability to meet people where they are – developmentally, emotionally, and psychologically. Together, this supports individuals to develop greater emotional awareness, resilience and sense of self – all of which are central to recovery and wellbeing.’