Art Therapy in St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Sarasota

How can someone express how they feel when words are not enough?
When the English language does not posses a spectrum of vocabulary capable of describing a feeling or experience?
When a resistive teenager is unwilling to communicate or unable to express their emotions or thought processes to an adult?
When failed communication between two individuals in a relationship results in a session of arguing, blame, and disagreement?
Enter: Art Therapy!

What is Art Therapy?

Art Therapy is the use of art materials and the creative process to address clinical goals and promote mental wellness. It’s used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.

It is especially beneficial for clients who have difficulty articulating the emotions they are feeling due to anxiety or being overly self-critical. By utilizing the powerful and empirically supported techniques of Art Therapy, individuals in this type of counseling can dig deeper into the underlying issues that are causing their mental health issues.

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What is an Art Therapist?

Art therapists are highly specialized, master-level clinicians, who work with people of all ages across a broad spectrum of practice. Guided by ethical standards and scope of practice, their education and supervised training prepares them for culturally proficient work with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Honoring individuals’ values and beliefs, art therapists work with people who are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking emotional, creative, and spiritual growth. It’s important to note that just because a Licensed Mental Health Counselor uses art in their session, this doesn’t constitute actual Art Therapy.

Art Therapy encourages a hands-on approach to therapy where the client plays an active role in treatment.

Artwork created in session becomes a tangible element in the therapy session, something direct and real, something which can be revisted and reflected upon in subsequent sessions and to serve as an indicator of progress or change. Art making can break through verbal, emotional, and mental barriers. This allows us to express emotions, thoughts, or experiences that are difficult to discuss or even acknowledge as an issue.
Lindsey Brooks mental health counselor biopic

Your St. Petersburg Art Therapist

At McNulty Counseling and Wellness, Lindsey Brooks, is our Registered Art Therapist (ATR) who is also board certified (ATR-BC), a nationally recognized title administered by the Art Therapy Credentials Board. Lindsey has gone through years of training to be able to implement these specialized counseling techniques in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She is passionate about Art Therapy and holds a position in the American Art Therapy Association since 2011 in which time she served a two year term as secretary for the Florida Art Therapy Association.

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