Art Therapy as a Relational and Evidence-Informed Way of Supporting Children’s Mental Health and Diverse Abilities
Art therapy is an evidence-based therapeutic approach supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, communication, and engagement through creative process. Rather than relying solely on verbal expression, art therapy offers children multiple ways to explore experiences, express feelings, and make meaning in forms that are accessible and developmentally responsive.
This is particularly relevant for children whose ways of thinking, feeling, and communicating do not align with dominant expectations — including neurodivergent children and those navigating intense emotional experiences.
What Art Therapy Is in Therapeutic Practice
Art therapy is a counselling-based therapeutic support that integrates creative expression with psychological theory and relational care. Sessions may involve drawing, painting, sculpture, movement, and sensory materials, guided by the child’s interests, needs, and consent.
Because art therapy does not depend on verbal explanation alone, it is frequently used with children who communicate visually or somatically, who experience language as effortful, or who find direct conversation overwhelming.
The therapeutic focus is not on the aesthetic outcome of the artwork, but on the process — how children explore, express, and relate through creative means within a supportive therapeutic relationship.
What Research Shows About Art Therapy With Children
A growing body of peer-reviewed research has examined art therapy’s role in supporting children’s emotional, social, and psychological experiences. Systematic reviews and clinical studies describe art therapy as supporting emotional expression, engagement, and relational safety, particularly for children who struggle with purely verbal interventions.
Across the literature, art therapy is not positioned as a technique for correcting behaviour, but as an approach that supports participation, emotional processing, and meaning-making through creative engagement.
Supporting Emotional Expression and Emotional Awareness
Research consistently highlights art therapy as a modality that supports children in externalising and exploring emotions that may feel confusing, overwhelming, or difficult to articulate. Symbolic and sensory expression allows emotions to be represented indirectly, which can reduce distress and increase tolerance over time.
Studies describe art therapy as supporting:
emotional awareness and expression
symbolic processing of inner experience
opportunities for reflection within a relational context
These processes are understood as foundational to emotional development rather than immediate behavioural change.
Supporting Communication for Neurodivergent and Non-Verbal Children
Research into art-based interventions notes their usefulness for children who communicate in non-spoken or non-linear ways. Art therapy can support communication through imagery, movement, and sensory engagement, allowing children to express experiences without pressure to translate them into words.
This flexibility is frequently identified as compatible with neurodivergent communication styles, as it allows individual pacing, choice, and multiple modes of expression rather than privileging verbal fluency.
Supporting Strengths, Agency, and Participation
Art therapy research also emphasises strengths-based outcomes. Beyond addressing distress, studies describe art therapy as supporting creativity, agency, and engagement.
Creative processes have been associated with:
increased self-efficacy and confidence
problem-solving and experimentation
fine-motor and visual-spatial skill development
persistence and flexibility within supportive limits
These outcomes are relevant for children with diverse abilities, interests, and developmental profiles.
Supporting Children Experiencing Stress, Loss, or Change
Several studies explore the use of art therapy with children experiencing stress, grief, trauma, or major life transitions. Art-based expression can provide a way to approach difficult experiences indirectly, supporting emotional processing at a pace that feels manageable.
Rather than requiring children to verbally recount experiences, art therapy offers a contained space for expression that respects readiness and supports relational safety.
Art Therapy as a Neuroaffirmative and Inclusive Practice
Contemporary art therapy literature increasingly frames the practice as adaptable and inclusive, emphasising participation and relationship rather than normalisation or behavioural compliance.
Art therapy is described as meeting children where they are — supporting identity, agency, and connection rather than shaping children to fit external standards of regulation or communication.
Art Therapy as a Relational, Research-Informed Practice
Art therapy is supported by a growing and evolving evidence base and is practised internationally across health, education, and community contexts. While outcomes vary for each child, research consistently positions art therapy as a relational, process-oriented approach that supports emotional expression, engagement, and meaning-making through creativity.
Through relationship and creative process, art therapy offers children ways to explore their inner and outer worlds that honour their individuality, capacities, and ways of being.
References
Huet, V., et al. (2014). Art therapy and children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The Arts in Psychotherapy.
Malchiodi, C. A. (2012). Handbook of Art Therapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Moula, Z., et al. (2020). A systematic review of arts-based interventions delivered to children in primary school settings. Frontiers in Psychology.
Schweizer, C., Knorth, E. J., & Spreen, M. (2014). Art therapy with children with autism spectrum disorders: A review of clinical case descriptions. The Arts in Psychotherapy.
Slayton, S. C., D’Archer, J., & Kaplan, F. (2010). Outcome studies on the efficacy of art therapy: A review of findings. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association.
Related Resources
When Words Are Hard to Find: Art as a Voice for Non-Verbal Children
Artful Beginnings: Art Therapy in Early Childhood Intervention
Important Information
This post discusses art therapy as an evidence-based and research-informed therapeutic approach. It is intended for general informational and reflective purposes only and does not provide clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual experiences vary, and professional support may be appropriate depending on each child’s context and needs.
