According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA - http://www.americanarttherapyassociation.org/aata-aboutus.html), art therapy is:
“a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages.  Research in the field confirms that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to become more physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy and functional, resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, handle life adjustments, and achieve insight.”

There are many benefits to art therapy that can supplement or enhance traditional psychotherapy for patients coping with a variety of issues or conditions. The Art Therapy Blog (http://www.arttherapyblog.com) notes that art therapy can be particularly beneficial to children, as they may be less likely to be able to find the words to describe the things that are troubling them. This is especially true for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or other cognitive disabilities. Adults and adolescents can also benefit greatly through the unique ability of artistic expression to enhance self-exploration techniques, and it can also help persons of all ages cope with trauma, stress disorders, depression, anxiety, and many other ailments, from minor to severe. Almost any patient can benefit from using artistic expression instead of just words to describe their emotions, and skilled art therapists can help those patients interpret those creations and use them for positive self-improvement. 

There are many ways that one can bring art therapy into his or her therapy practice. Often, art therapy is integrated with more traditional talk therapy, giving patients an opportunity to express thoughts through sketches, paints, photographs, or other creative crafts in addition to expressing through words alone. Some therapists find art therapy helpful in working with clients who have difficulty clarifying their feelings or thoughts, such as children, who often do not have the vocabulary necessary to explain how they are feeling.

Other therapists may deal with art therapy techniques more exclusively, and may have offices that look more like studios, with materials for sculpture, crafts, and paints all around, available to the patient to work alone or in groups of others with similar concerns or conditions. The therapist's job is to facilitate in the patient's creation of work that reflects his or her moods, feelings, and emotional state. For example, an art therapist may work weekly or even more often with small groups of recovering alcoholics in an effort to help them work through their individual and shared experiences of starting new, sober lives.

Many assessments are used to evaluate cognitive, emotional, and developmental states in patients that are art-based, including the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS), the Mandala Assessment Research Intrument (MARI), and the House-Tree-Person (HTP) test.

Patients of all ages can benefit from art therapy techniques during counseling. In particular, those experiencing the following disorders or life situations may respond well to art therapy:

• Adoption and foster care difficulties in children and teens
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children, teens, and adults, including those who have served in the military
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Brain injury
• Eating disorders
• Divorce (children of divorce and spouses undergoing divorce)
• Addictions
• Depression
• Anxiety
• ADD/ADHD
• Alzheimer's, stroke, and other geriatric conditions

• Art Therapy Credentials Board: http://www.atcb.org/
• Art Therapy.us: http://www.art-therapy.us/art_therapy.htm
• International Art Therapy Organization: http://www.internationalarttherapy.org/
• Art Therapy Blog: http://www.arttherapyblog.com/
• Free access to Volume 26 Issue 3 (2009) of the Official Journal of the American Art Therapy Association: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uart20/26/3
• American Art Therapy Association: http://www.arttherapy.org/