Art therapy is a way of using colour, shape and texture to express what you cannot easily put into words, and it is one of the most accessible mindfulness practices I know. You do not need to be creative. You do not need to make anything good. The point is the process, not the picture, and that process quietly settles the mind while helping you understand what is going on underneath.
To explain it properly, I asked Ronit Nestel, a clinical psychologist who specialises in art therapy, to share how it works and who it is for. Ronit's words are below, and I have added a few simple exercises at the end for anyone who wants to try the idea at home.
What is art therapy and how does it work?
Ronit describes art therapy as a process of self-discovery. It works with the images of your internal world, allowing you to process and integrate them more consciously so you can find alternatives to automatic behaviours that no longer serve you.
The materials, the process and the artwork itself are all used as therapeutic tools. Art therapy does not care about the aesthetics of what you make. It concentrates on what happens inside you while you make it.
Ronit puts it this way: art works as a mirror of our internal world. It lets us visualise, recognise and understand what is going on within us, so we can engage with the world from a more conscious place.
Compared with talking therapies, art therapy externalises the problem. You give it a form, a colour and a texture. Once it exists outside of you on paper or in clay, it becomes more manageable, and something that may not even have been conscious before is now something you can look at. The images you create can carry meaning at several levels, which is why people often reach insights here that they could not reach through conversation alone.
Importantly, the therapist does not interpret your work for you. As Ronit explains, the therapist gradually helps you uncover your own meaning through careful questions. You are an active participant the whole way through.
What to expect in your first session
The structure of a session depends on your needs, but Ronit shares that an initial interview always comes first, covering your personal and family history and the reason you have decided to start.
From there, the therapist chooses between two approaches. In a directive session, the therapist plans a specific activity or set of materials with a particular outcome in mind. In a non-directive session, you are free to choose your own materials, techniques and activity within the therapeutic space, with no set structure.
Whichever path you take, the last part of every session is reserved for reflection. You and the therapist look at what was made and what came up, and work through it together. Different materials create different emotional and mental states, which is why a therapist chooses them with care.
The connection between art therapy and mindfulness
This is the part I find most beautiful. Engaging with tactile materials allows the mind to settle. Ronit describes the process as a catalyst for diving into your own awareness. Feeling the paint, the paper, the clay keeps you anchored in the present moment, which is the essence of mindfulness, while you get to know yourself from a deeper place.
If you enjoy that reflective, hands-on way of turning inward, our mindful journaling course works on a very similar principle, using pen and paper instead of paint. Many people find the two practices complement each other well.
Art therapy versus meditation
People often ask whether art therapy is a form of meditation. Ronit's answer is that it is a meditative activity, but not meditation itself.
Meditation is the practice of complete surrender, letting go of every effortful action, idea, thought or feeling, and becoming the observer of what is happening inside and outside your body. Art therapy relaxes you by engaging the senses, but it is still a subtle way of focusing on a task. Both are valuable. They simply do different jobs. If you are curious about the meditation side, our in-person classes at the South Melbourne studio are a gentle place to start.
Who can benefit from art therapy?
According to Ronit, anyone who wants to reach their fullest potential and experience more happiness and joy. Because it focuses on you rather than on technique, it suits people of all ages and backgrounds, individually, with couples, in groups or with families.
It is used for personal growth and self-discovery, and also to support people working through trauma, addiction, depression, phobias, OCD and relationship or family difficulties.
Simple art therapy exercises to try at home
A guided session with a qualified art therapist gives you the deepest benefits, but you can begin exploring the link between art and mindfulness on your own with these.
- Mindful colouring. Find a mandala or an intricate colouring page and some pencils. As you colour, pay attention to the feel of the pencil on the paper, the sound it makes and the colours you find yourself reaching for. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the act of colouring.
- The emotion wheel. Draw a large circle and divide it into sections like a pizza. Assign an emotion to each section, such as joy, sadness, anger and fear, and fill each one with the colours you associate with that feeling. It is a simple way to acknowledge your current emotional state without judgement.
- Clay play. Take a piece of air-dry clay and simply handle it. Notice its texture, temperature and how it gives under your fingers. You might shape something that represents a challenge you are facing, or just let your hands make whatever they want. The tactile nature of clay is incredibly grounding.
About Ronit
Ronit Nestel was born and raised in Mexico City and holds a degree in clinical psychology specialising in art therapy. Vedic meditation is one of her central pillars and it inspired her to create SomaSpace, a platform offering sensory, experiential group courses through art, where people use their senses to know themselves more deeply through direct experience.
If art therapy has sparked something in you, come and visit us at the Mirosuna studio in South Melbourne. Our classes and sound meditations are designed to help you reach the same settled, reflective state Ronit describes. You might also like our mindful journaling course for a daily creative practice, and if you are wondering what you actually want more of in your life, read finding your passion.