Specialised therapies
Art Therapy
What is Art Therapy?
- What is Art Therapy for?
- Expressing and processing emotional topics through visual creation
- Is Art Therapy legally regulated?
- Not a separate legally regulated health profession. Training via universities (of applied sciences) and institutes; look for recognised training and professional associations.
- Does Art Therapy treat illnesses?
- No independent curative treatment. Used complementarily in hospitals, rehab and psychosocial care.
Art therapy uses visual creation – painting, drawing, sculpting, collage – as a way to express and process emotional topics. It works especially where words are hard to find, and the image opens a path to feelings, memories and inner pictures. The result does not have to be “beautiful”; it is about expression, not art.
It is used complementarily in hospitals, rehabilitation, psychosocial care, education and in work with children, older or seriously ill people.
Quality depends on solid training and attachment to a professional association. You need no artistic experience.
What is allowed
- Encourage expression and processing through painting, drawing and creating
- Offer a non-verbal approach, valuable with children, trauma and dementia
- Strengthen self-awareness, resources and stabilisation
- Work complementarily in hospitals, rehab, education and private practice
Where are the limits?
- No diagnosis and no independent treatment of mental illness
- No substitute for psychotherapy or medical treatment
- Not art lessons; no artistic experience needed
How to recognise quality
- Solid art-therapy training
- Membership in a professional association
- A clear therapeutic goal rather than mere activity
- Confidentiality and careful handling of what is created
How it works
- First sessionclarify concern, set setting and goal
- Creatingvisual work in a guided, protected situation
- Reflectionlooking at and understanding what emerged, together
Costs & insurance
In institutions (hospital, rehab, early support)usually part of care, free for patients
Private practiceprivate service, no insurance funding
Guide price private practiceapprox. 60 to 100 € per session