As much as we love art, we have to wonder sometimes at its place in alternative therapy. Why is it used so much in helping victims of trauma or abuse?

It turns out that art is good for our mental health. Many people who have suffered a severely painful emotional, mental, or even physical experience have a tough time conveying how they feel afterward. Some find it hard to talk at all. By allowing patients to express themselves through an art medium such as paint, crayons, or any other means, psychologists believe that patients can begin to heal as well as open up about their experiences.

There is also a belief that stems from the actual making of art. Therapists believe that the creative process—the act of actually creating something new—is therapeutic and fulfilling to traumatized victims. Of course, these can be benefits from people who haven’t been traumatized as well.

Art is especially good therapy for young children. Most kids don’t have the vocabulary to really put that much pain into words. Instead, they can create pictures to express how they feel. Most children are also more comfortable with an art medium, and will take to that much more quickly than a session with a therapist who wants them to talk.

Sometimes art therapy can even work sort of like hypnosis—especially when used with children. Kids (and some adults) can often recall suppressed memories and emotions while creating art, and display these situations on paper. This not only allows them to process the actual events—it also helps the police officer, therapist, or other caregiver to get the details needed to deal with the physical reality of the situation.

Art is also helpful in treating patients with mental or depressive disorders. Posttraumatic stress disorder in particular can be treated with art therapy, as can bipolar disorder. It can also help patients learn more about themselves, relieve stress, develop cognitive abilities, and heal from past events.

It’s important to note that art therapy has nothing to do with talent. Anyone can benefit from it, no matter if they’re drawing stick figures or painting a Van Gogh. It’s a good argument to keep art in schools, as well, since it could help children be more expressive and perhaps less violent overall.

Though most art can be therapeutic, the most common forms of art used in art therapy include photography, painting, sculpture and drawing.