Introduction to Art Therapy Techniques

Rationale

Art therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses art as a form of communication between the therapist and the client to treat a wide range of mental health conditions. Through integrative methods and by incorporating the creative process of various art form, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone.

Unlike traditional forms of therapy that rely mainly on verbal communication, art therapy prioritizes artistic expression. It creates a space where individuals can engage in artistic creation without judgment and aims to help them overcome social, medical, and psychological barriers, ultimately fostering positive transformation.

Art therapy encompasses a wide range of artistic mediums, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, music, theater, physical expression, and writing. These various forms of art can be combined in limitless ways, allowing for diverse applications of art therapy.

In this certificate, students are offered an introductory program through which they understand and learn the development and application of art therapy, one of the most popular specialties in the field of psychology.

Objective

The Art Therapy Certificate aims to provide students with the significance of arts marking process and symbolic expression for healing outcomes. Art therapy is effective in engaging people who may struggle to participate in more traditional ‘talking therapies’ such as children, adolescents, people suffering from trauma, those with disabilities, language difficulties or those from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Target Audience

Participants from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. All healthcare professionals can be included in this certificate (psychologists, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists…).

Course Duration

The training will run for 2 days (from 8.30am to 3.30pm; 1 credit), with 20-25 participants per group.

Tentative date

Friday, February 26 & Saturday, February 27.

Workshop Lead

Ms. Nadine Akl is a Clinical Psychologist and Licensed Psychotherapist (CBT & Schema Therapy), Art Therapist, Mindfulness Practitioner, and Interior Architect. University lecturer and PhDc in Neuropsychology.

With more than 20 years of clinical experience at the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, she integrates evidence-based therapies with art-based and mindfulness approaches to support healing and personal growth.

She specializes in group work, facilitating therapeutic processes across diverse clinical and community settings.

Co-founder and board member of several mental health associations in Lebanon and across the Arab region (ALTCC, LAM, and the Arab Board for Arts and Health), she actively contributes to mental health advocacy, training, and psychosocial support initiatives.

Topics covered

The certificate is two consecutive days and includes the following:

*Day 1*	*Overview of Art Therapy*	*Description*
	Introduction to Basic Principles of Art Therapy	Describes the development and the basic concepts of art therapy.
	Creative Therapy	Examines the main approaches in art therapy. Includes applications of play, art, music, dance and other expressive therapeutic approaches for the development of emotional, social, perceptual, and cognitive strengths in children and adults.
	Integration of Arts and Therapy	Explores different art forms like collage, play therapy and sand play therapy that help clients to explore deeper unconscious needs and healing in a playful way.
	Mandala Art Therapy	Describes the form of expressive therapy that involves creating and reflecting on mandalas for therapeutic purposes.
*Day 2*	Between Mindfulness, CBT, Trauma and Art	*Description*
	Mindful Creativity	Examines the approach integrating mindfulness and meditation into art therapy, along with gratitude and self-awareness.
	Cognitive Behavioral Art Therapy	Explores the intersection of art therapy practices and principles within Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) theories and models. This timely new resource examines CBT theory as it relates to art therapy, and offers an argument for the inclusion of CBT within art therapy-based treatments.
	Trauma-Informed Expressive Art Therapy	Describes the specific approach to traumatic stress that integrates “brain-wise” arts-based interventions and embodied awareness concepts to support trauma reparation and recovery.

Assessment

At the end of the module, participants will complete the Art Therapy Case Analysis and Artwork Interpretation Assessment. This assessment requires participants to analyze a client case alongside an image of the client’s artwork in order to demonstrate applied competencies in art therapy. Participants will examine the artwork’s themes, colors, and symbolic elements, and interpret how these visual components may reflect the client’s emotional, cognitive, or relational processes. Using one chosen theoretical framework, they will integrate case information with visual analysis to formulate a coherent understanding of the client’s needs. Finally, participants will propose appropriate art-based goals and targeted therapeutic interventions that align with both the theoretical approach and the client’s presenting concerns.

Fee per participant: $500