Welcome to Indigo Art Therapy Studio! We are so excited to be a part of Jacksonville's Riverside community! Most of the people we meet have a lot of questions for us about art therapy, and we're happy to answer any questions you might have!
From the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), "Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. A goal in art therapy is to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being. Art therapy practice requires knowledge of visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms) and the creative process, as well as of human development, psychological, and counseling theories and techniques."
Art therapy can be done in a wide variety of settings and can serve a wide variety of individuals (it's not just for kids). At Indigo Art Therapy Studios, we have infused our specialized training, practice, and education as special educators and art therapists to create a safe, inclusive setting that makes the therapeutic process of art making accessible to all. We serve everyone, ages two and up!
Not all of the services we offer at Indigo Art Therapy Studio are art therapy. As special educators, also offer adaptive art classes and career coaching through our vocational program as well as a self-care adult workshop series called Creative Catalyst.
The emphasis on the educational programs is the art product and learning new art skills. With art therapy sessions, we are focused on support for specific mental health goals or addressing sensory, emotional, or behavioral challenges. The differences in these services involve: 1) the way the art is used, 2) the way the sessions are structured 3) student/teacher relationship vs. art therapist/client relationship 4) the goals and desired outcomes of the course or session.
We outline the variety of services we offer here on our website under our Services page if you'd like to learn more or you can Contact Us to answer any questions you might have. To learn more about the practice of art therapy, check out the American Art Therapy Association website at: http://arttherapy.org/
