Description
Creating art is a wonderful way to reconnect with yourself while cultivating new skills for navigating life. Author Leah Guzman, a board-certified art therapist and mixed media artist, has put together simple yet powerful art therapy exercises drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy methods. You’ll express your thoughts and emotions by creating art pieces using a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, and sculpting.You don’t need to be an artist to create art, and no experience is necessary. If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, or PTSD, Essential Art Therapy Exercises will inspire you to practice mindfulness and self-compassion using:Healing art therapy exercises—Making art is both creative and liberating. 75 art therapy activities provide outlets for self-expression and tools for coping with mood and personality disorders.Supportive, inspiring prompts—Every project lists an explanation of its purpose and potential outcomes, how long it will take, and what materials you’ll need. There are also insightful post-activity questions to help you further explore your feelings.Judgment-free guidance—You’ll do warm-up exercises to get the creative juices flowing, learn art basics, and focus on the process and not the end product.Tap into your creativity to create a better life using Essential Art Therapy Exercises.
kratzy (verified owner) –
Being at home and stuck in side, I normally work from home, boredom is usually quick to set in because you do not have the distractions of going into an office and really hanging out at the grocery store right now will not work and during the best of times was really not that appealing either. So I always look for things to bring a change to the home routine. And while exercise and yardwork and cooking are good options, you want some variety. This book is actually fun and brings about a nice change. But before you are worried that you need to be a Picasso in the making to enjoy this, the art in this book covers a variety of ways. Included are writing, working with textiles as well as drawing. I enjoy writing and doodling, so both of those are covered and also found that working with textiles can be fun. The book contains a list of activities that are intended to decompress, short exercises that are clearly structured with time required indicated as well as tools needed and provide a summary of the activity’s benefits. I found this book to be really helpful in creating breaks from work that left me invigorated and ready to continue working away, particularly on problems that seem too difficult and tended to stress me out. I recommend this book to anyone that faces challenges at work, especially in a WFH envrionment and needs to take a constructive break before retackling the issue.
I received a free copy from the publisher.
P. Chichester (verified owner) –
This is NOT a coloring book, or a book with meditative art. This book IS an excellent resource for teachers and therapists, or for an individual to use with the guidance of their therapist. It begins with descriptions of what Art Therapy is and its goals, which include “to gain personal insight and develop self-control over emotions,” and this book does just that. The author is successful in her goals of using artistic expression to help improve self-esteem, self-empowerment, and for the development of skills to deal with future life challenges.
The book begins with a brief explanation on the origins of Art Therapy and its benefits. There is a list of questions to consider while reviewing work, such as analyzing what the colors used mean to the individual, what feelings came up during the project, etc. Then there are several warm-up exercises, each about 10 minutes long or less. The next section contains the many chapters of individual exercises that can be done individually, or in a group setting. Chapters are divided by art style and include Painting and Drawing, Digital and Photos, Sculpting and Textiles, Writing, and Collages. Each exercise lists the benefits it is meant to achieve, the estimated time frame, materials needed, and discussion questions. Some include suggested alterations to make it more suitable for group work.
There is a wide variety of exercises to choose from, some very lighthearted and fairly simple, and others that dive deeper. I would recommend that an individual doing these exercises have access to a therapist to help them process some of the deep emotions that may arise.
A sample of one of the exercises in this book is called Traumatic Moments, with the goal to recall trauma and process the emotions from it. This drawing exercise helps the client to clarify the order of events for a traumatic event. Drawing out the events can help a client with recall. A lighter example would be Therapeutic Filmmaking, which uses a creative and fun filming project to help develop self-reflection, self awareness, and assists with coping and emotional regulation. Other examples that caught my eye while skimming through the book include Anger Painbody, where you can sculpt a representative of your pain to work through it, a writing exercise called Embracing Your Strengths, and a project to create Prayer Flags.
Most of the exercises can be done in 30 to 60 minutes, and the time is listed on each exercise along with a supply list to help with planning. Overall, Essential Art Therapy Exercises is a comprehensive tool for assisting working through traumas and anxieties, and I highly recommend it.
Monica Reents<span class="a-icon a-profile-verified-badge"><span class="a-profile-verified-text"></span></span> (verified owner) –
I want to thank Callisto publishing for gifting a copy of this book to me. I wrote this review by choice and honestly.
Essential Art Therapy Exercises is an excellent resource! The book is divided into chapters: What is Art Therapy? with exercises, Painting and Drawing, Digital and Photos, Sculpting and Textiles, Writing, and Collages. I was surprised to see such a variety of art mediums covered, there is definitely something for everyone.
Each exercise is well explained along with the benefit of doing the exercise and a list of supplies needed. Once you complete each art piece, there is a list of questions for discussion. I love this. It makes you look deeper at your feelings and emotions. I have always believed that art invokes feelings in its observers, and the artist who created it. The artist leaves their feelings in the piece.
As someone who copes with anxiety, I find most of the exercises in this book to be helpful in helping me to take a step back and observe myself, and to reign in whatever I’m feeling so I can better cope.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys creating art, to those wanting to learn how to use a variety of mediums, and definitely to those interested in adding this to their self-care routine. This book can help you look at your feelings and emotions, rather than just feel them.
And (verified owner) –
I received this book from the publisher and the timing could not be better. The book is in two parts
Part One: The Art of Therapy – This is the overview sections, background information about art therapy and the important list of basic supplies. Even if you had just had a piece of paper and a crayon , you would still be able to benefit from the warm up mental exercises.
Part Two: Dives deeper into the Therapy exercises. Painting and Drawing. Digital and Photos. Sculpting and Textiles. Writing. Collages. Resources. Each exercise has questions for Discussion. If you are home with some one else you can talk to the person or if you are home alone these are things you can ask yourself. I think this book is very helpful to express your self and get things out of your head so to speak. You don’t have to be a great artist, writer, or sculptor. You may even have some great art pieces out of some of these projects that you can enjoy.
I think this book is a valuable resource right now and any time that your mange how you are feeling. It is a good way to channel and manage our anxiety anytime with simple guidelines.
Khubb (verified owner) –
Great book with tons of art exercise projects to deal with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. A very good book to have during these trying times.
Thanks Callisto for the chance to read
Reasonable Reviewer (verified owner) –
I received this book specifically to write a review. That said, I try to be honest and open in all my reviews.
(I generally include pictures, but the system is not allowing pictures to be uploaded now. I will add those in the future as I am able.)
This was an interesting book that both talked about the theory of art therapy as well as included two dozen practical exercises. I liked it. The book is nicely laid out. It could have used several more illustrations and pictures, but that might have driven up the cost of the book.
According to the book, there are two aspects to art therapy. One is addressing the patient’s feelings of pride and accomplishment by empowering him or her through creating cool pieces of art. The second aspect is having the patient create art on particular topics and then *interpreting* the art to better the understand the state of the patient’s psyche.
If you are a dyed-in-the-wool believer in the current psychological evaluation and treatment regimens then you will applaud this book and buy into it wholly.
If you are skeptical of our general ability to understand the depths of someone’s soul from a picture of a box and a mouth-less face then this book is not going to convince you of the veracity of the approach.
All in all, it is a good book worth a look if you are a practicing therapist or you are a caretaker for someone that is struggling.
Steve (verified owner) –
This book from an art therapist, is a great resource with a plethora of ideas to help tap into your creativity to counteract anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. Even ADD (in my case).
There are a lot of ideas in random order from journal writing to art projects and all points in between. What I wish is that there were pictures or illustrations to show me some of the end products. I realize that perhaps she doesn’t want to influence how you express yourself, but there are things that are hard to imagine what they should look like, and for someone like me, that’s important.
Otherwise, this is a great way to keep your mind active, create things for people of all ages, and therapeutically allow me to manage anxiety, depression, and my ADD. I need things like this book and look forward to trying more and more of these ideas.
Anonymous (verified owner) –
The book is divided in two parts. First part explains theoretically what Art Therapy is, I find it was written in a very easy to digest way, it’s not tiring, it’s simple and goes to the point. The second part of the book is comprised of therapeutic creative activities and before starting to get into all the activities there’s a general list of the materials needed apart from the materials list that each activity has, which I thought it was great, it is way easier to see a list with all the materials needed throughout (at least for me personally it was easier to mark what I already had and look for activities to try out with those materials).
One thing I’d suggest is to add more images (maybe doodles, not necessarily photographs) to explain the steps to follow, because I found some to be a bit confusing and in the process reducing the engagement and desire to follow through. This however does not happen with the majority of activities, only with the most ”complicated” ones to explain.
Overall great layout and design. I truly believe this is a must have book not only for therapists but also for anyone that needs to spark some creativity, get out of an artist block or just simply do some introspective work. The activities I chose to engage with helped me greatly to spark some creativity while also helping me keep focused on things I had to address.
Todd Post (verified owner) –
While this book has great content, for an art book, you’d think it would be heavily illustrated or have photos, but it does not. That said, there are a lot of great exercises in it to help ease the mind and find focus through art, which is its main purpose. The format is simple and to the point with a variety of activities from writing to drawing photography. There are images here and there in the book, but they are mostly aesthetic, not illustrative of the activities themselves which would have been nice…either showing an example of the project or as a step-by-step guide. I guess the author didn’t want to be too prescriptive or bias the would-be artist, but let you follow your own vision? Other than that, it’s a good book for those looking to manage their thoughts through art.
Mitz (verified owner) –
I bought this book hoping to use it in my individual practice with ages from kids to adults. Art can really help those kids who are suffering and this book has great ideas that you can use depending on the circumstances. It also is helpful because it doesn’t make classist or treatment budget assumptions meaning like many books do meaning it can be used in public mental health services that include no/low-income clients without anyone feeling ailienated which is an issue I sometimes run into with other books on providing therapeutic interventions.
Antigone Walsh (verified owner) –
This is a nice collection of art projects that serve as an outlet for dealing with feelings and emotions. The basics of art therapy are described but most of the book containscprojects. There is a good mix with everything from drawing and painting to collages to sculpture included. This book would be helpful for therapists as well as people dealing with the lonliness, frustration, fear and anger of the imposed pandemic isolation. The projects are straight forward and can be telling. Interesting and useful.
Unik (verified owner) –
If you’re bored with daily affirmations, this is definitely a book you NEED. Daily affirmation and meditation are great but sometimes you need something different. This is different. There are many art-focused activities that will help you relax and work your brain muscles. It is about thinking, creating, and doing therapeutic activities through art (IE: drawing out your mental thoughts then explaining it in writing). This isn’t elementary school projects, where you’d feel silly doing them, this book was made for adults. Seriously this entire book is good and filled with things you want to do to escape a stressful day/moment. I didn’t know this existed but I’m happy I found this book to add to my daily routine. This is a MUST for self-care. I hope this helps 🙂
Ladybug (verified owner) –
There’s a lot to love about this little book.
It’s divided into two main sections: the first shorter section talks about what art therapy is, how to use it, how to interpret it, etc.
The second much bigger section gives different types of art therapy: painting and drawing, digital and photography, writing, and collages. Each exercise has its own one- or two-page spread with material lists and detailed (but not too detailed) instructions.
Surprisingly, the section on collages is my favorite. So many great ideas for processing different feelings and situations. But I really love all the ideas in the book. It’s given me a lot to work with.
AnarchyJim (verified owner) –
The exercises in this book really encourage you to look inside and tap into how you’re feeling. It guides you into a kind of insight into yourself that you might not have thought about. If you’re going through a hard time and can’t afford therapy, this book could help you think though it. As with any therapy, you have to be open and really dig in there if you’re seeking a change. Each exercise tells you what benefit is intended with doing that activity. For $19, it’s an excellent resource, and will give you some insight as to whether seeing an actual therapist that specializes in art will help.
martha avans (verified owner) –
This book is a great book. Lots of ideas on ways to express yourself with art.
longsword (verified owner) –
I really respect this book: it has a wide spectrum of exercises (media wise, theory wise and personality wise). There are exercises from CBT that will work for concrete thinkers and from more gestalt perspectives for those who are more sensory based. The author clearly carries a lot of compassion for our mutual suffering and she has put together very thoughtful exercises while noting their purpose and outcome, time they take, materials needed and reflective questions to go deeper. The digital section is very pertinent for younger technological folks and also great for those who are less craft oriented. The collage section touches on the power of vision boards and allows a person to explore any emotions from a visual and cognitive space. The book helps a person tap into what art does: connect disparate parts of ourselves and bring them into connection once again. Here’s to the integrated self! And this book provides specific exercises to get you there.
RamonaMeadBlogger<span class="a-icon a-profile-verified-badge"><span class="a-profile-verified-text"></span></span> (verified owner) –
I suffer from anxiety and depression, and have noticed how my work as a writer can provide therapeutic value. I selected this book because while I consider myself creative, I’m not what I think of as an “artsy” person and I wanted some artistic exercises outside of my usual wheelhouse of journaling.
I thought this book might be too clinical for me but that’s not the case at all! The exercises and the language used throughout are very accessible. The author, who is an art therapist, gives a useful introduction and provides positive, straightforward instruction. The book is also pretty, with lots fo bright colors and nice photos. Each exercise is accompanied by an explanation of the benefits, a list of materials you will need, expected time to complete it, and follow up questions to explore afterward. My only “concern” about the exercises is that they will bring up a lot of emotions for users. I’m fortunate to have a therapist I talk with regularly who could help me process what comes up for me. Someone not so fortunate may become overwhelmed and not have an outlet for discussion. With that being said, the author has given resources in the back of the book, hotlines and websites to contact crisis and other support organizations.
I received my copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Momma Araceli (verified owner) –
Amazing! Definitely helps to keep kids entertained as well as adults
Maria Carroll (verified owner) –
I am an elementary school counselor and I can see myself using many of these activities with my students. I like how the author lists the benefits of each exercise at the beginning which helps me easily identify activities that match what I am working on with my students. The 5-10 minute warm-up exercises would be especially applicable in the school setting where we don’t have a lot of time to spend with our kiddos. There are 10 of them and I could see myself using all of these. The rest of the art projects are geared to a 50 minute session but I could perhaps do them with a student over two meetings since my individual session are usually 20-30 minutes. Some favorites that I can see myself using are: Safe Place, Strength Shield, Family Drawing, Favorite Kind of Day, Animal Guides and Heart Strings Drawing. The Heart Strings Drawing activity could even be modified a bit to use with the darling children’s book, “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst. The longer lessons could also be used as a classroom guidance lesson where I usually have 45-50 minutes with a class. The Strength Shield activity in particular would be great for a classroom lesson. A great way to build self-esteem with the whole class! I am very excited to use this book with my students next year!!
Kristine Fisher (verified owner) –
Essential Art Therapy Exercises by Leah Guzman, ATR-BC, is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early April.
Crikey, we could all use this right now – art projects that involve color, beauty, imagination, mindfulness, use of mixed media, and freedom of self-expression. There are feelings, emotion, and intent behind every jot, every stroke, every choice. Guzman suggests discussing a completed project, never critiquing, to reach into memory, embrace what you’ve held back, to appreciate yourself and those who support you, and to foster personal growth.
Leslie (verified owner) –
Love this book. Currently going for my master’s in art therapy and this gave me so many great ideas for directives. Thank you! Highly recommend
Leila Shinn<span class="a-icon a-profile-verified-badge"><span class="a-profile-verified-text"></span></span> (verified owner) –
I received a review copy of this book from Callisto Publisher’s Club for the specific purpose of writing a review.
The book was well laid out, and talked about the theory behind art therapy as well as including practical exercises to try out.
According to the book, there are two steps to art therapy. The first one is addressing the patient’s feelings by empowering them through creating different pieces of art. The second is having the patient create art on specific topics and then interpreting it to better the understand the state of the patient’s psyche.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and believe that any open-minded therapist who is interested in exploring art therapy would have a great time reading this.
Heidi Anne Heiner (verified owner) –
I haven’t done much art therapy myself so I shared this book with a friend who has and is actually interested in becoming an art therapist. She read it with that perspective and was happy with the book. She liked the book and its organization as well as the actual activities. We both appreciated that many genres of art were represented. I find using creative juices to create although I am not a talented or trained visual artist is usually relaxing and helps me step away from my anxieties and stresses. My friend is a very talented visual artist who has struggled to maintain her creativity during some difficult psychological challenges in recent years. This book helped her remember some of the helpful activities she has done in the past as well as give her a resource for doing them again and finding new ones. The better focus for this book is the activities, not necessarily their intended therapeutic purposes. I noticed some reviews didn’t like that there were few visual examples but I think those may influence the artist too much when this is intended for them to discover their own feelings and emotions or feel inadequate if their art doesn’t measure up, the creation process is more important than the end result with these exercises.
Amanda (verified owner) –
I like planning the night before which art prompt to try the next day. It really applies to me as an abuse victim and has helped me process some of my hard emotions.
Heather (verified owner) –
I find this book great, easy to follow and used with clients. It’s helped with clients concepts of self and values. Highly recommend
Nyasha (verified owner) –
Jumping on to support the accolades. This text really is that good. Thank you!
Denise (verified owner) –
This book was a great help during a difficult transitional time! Thank you!
Stephanie Morehead (verified owner) –
What an amazing and insightful book!! I am a counselor and I use this to get some quick ideas for creative kids and adults who don’t want to just talk, or to assign homework in between sessions for clients who like artwork. I like that it isn’t just writing & drawing – there are sections for sculpting, graphic design, and collage making. I probably won’t use every single thing listed but I will use a whole bunch. This is a timeless resource that can be used again and again.
Ann (verified owner) –
The book is about art not for the sake of art, but for the sake of the process. It has multiple different exercises using art supplies. It is relaxing to think of art as a process, not the goal, and it really frees the mind to think of it this way. They have all supplies listed and lots of tips on how to improve the experience.
danimae (verified owner) –
I have dealt with anxiety and depression for most of my life, so this book caught my attention immediately. I find art to be very calming, so it’s one way I can try to help my anxiety and depression. However, I often find that my rough times can make it hard to organize my thoughts enough to come up with a project on my own. That’s one thing I love about this book – it’s like a recipe book of art projects! The book is organized by types of projects: Painting and Drawing, Photos, Sculpting, Writing, etc. These sections are even color coded on the top edge of the pages so they are easy to identify. Each project gives a nice overview that lets you see at a glance how long the project will take and what materials are needed. A description and the benefits of doing the project are provided, as well as simple steps and questions to reflect on. I find the projects to be flexible and straightforward, not requiring special skills. Instead they guide you through ways to reflect mentally and heal. I think this book will be useful for people who struggle with mental health, as well as therapists/others who are helping these people. It’s a great resource!
Elle Howe (verified owner) –
I LOVE this book. These projects work well for individuals and groups. They also work well across age groups with simple tweaks. If definitely recommend it.
MetalheadMissy and Jimmy (verified owner) –
as a sufferer of depression and anxiety disorders I appreciate this book and for my adhd as well. It helps me to destress to do various arts and crafts i have a room devoted to it. I appreciate that this book helps with giving ideas and projects to do. and how to work out and work with what i have going on my issues and being able to communicate them through art work. IT feels good to have this form as a outlet and this book helps with ideas.
Cyndi W (verified owner) –
Just now embarking on my journey, but everything I have read and done so far has been very helpful. One thing that I wish I had thought of when I first purchased the book was, you will need other supplies as well. You will definitely need a plain lineless journal, and some other basic things. Best to read the outline of the book to get a hint of what you are in store for so you can start obtaining some of the items you will need. Whether you borrow them or purchase them. But overall a fabulous book. Wish I had had it years ago.
Sandi R (verified owner) –
This book has been way better than I expected. Gave me lots of ideas for different projects to help me work through and with my therapy. I have complex PTSD issues
lynn weinberg (verified owner) –
This is a wonderful book. The introduction is written in a way that it is geared toward the therapist. However, I would say the book would be very helpful to individuals. Each exercise is listed on a single page, with simple and easy to follow instructions, supplies needed and follow up questions to think about or discuss after you’ve completed the project. The projects can be completed in 45 minutes or less, to accommodate time for discussion in a therapy session. I bought the book to work on the projects on my own, at home. So, I’m spending more time on each project. The exercises require no prior artistic training. It’s a wonderful book.
NetNurse (verified owner) –
Easy to implement!
Van Wilson (verified owner) –
This book is fantastic! So many great art exercises!
Mariana (verified owner) –
This book is over all great. As a license professional counselor I think this book can be a useful asset to your practice or to your personal life. The exercises are simple yet powerful; they can be used in individual or group settings. The exercises are clear and give you suggestions in regards to what medium to use however, you can always adapt and use whatever you might have available. Also, if you want to use art with the purpose of managing anxiety, or depression it can be a creative way to expresses those feelings at home. Wonderful tool!!!
Leah (verified owner) –
Has some really great activities. Very calming and beneficial to do.
Jessie L (verified owner) –
This has been a great tool for creative therapy exercises during counseling appointments.
Az (verified owner) –
this book has a lot more value than I expected and really appreciate it
gina reviere (verified owner) –
Love this art journal!!!!!
Kris (verified owner) –
There are so many great and specific ideas to inspire creative ways to explore your own ways of self care.
Lois Desmond (verified owner) –
Great ideas and techniques
Joyce Dennis (verified owner) –
This was a gift for a young man in prison. He said he loved it. Thank you!
Random person (verified owner) –
Life is not so great but this book is
LW-dyslexic (verified owner) –
Awesome, easy to use for K-12 educators
NL (verified owner) –
The book is full of art therapy projects! Easy to follow instructions and I highly recommend this book!
Erin (verified owner) –
If you like having a physical copy of resources for art therapy, this is for you! I found many of this information online though. Still a great book overall!
Lexy (verified owner) –
I got this book because I’m approaching the end of my masters program and doing more session and client work. This book helps me create my session outlines. The interventions in this book are very easy to adjust. Great resource. Highly recommended among my peer group.
Kim (verified owner) –
This is perfect for my work for my artsy clients. A must have!
motivatedbysun (verified owner) –
I have enjoyed being my own art therapist as I go through this book and create some fun stuff
Mandilynn McClain (verified owner) –
Has very few thought provoking exercises. I was really hoping this would be good but many are irrelevant or written for children.
Crystal (verified owner) –
I absolutely love this book. Such great, usable content. I run an arts therapy group and use this weekly. Great ideas and art activities. I love the added thoughtful questions for personal reflections. A great tool for out of the box therapist.
Dianna Henderson (verified owner) –
Can’t wait to get started being creative! Hope I can still get the free pdf coloring pages!
Sonya Garcia-Chanax (verified owner) –
I recommend this book to anyone who works in
Ministry, who works in school and for personal growth. This books has a lot of activities that helps the individual and groups.
dana (verified owner) –
I wished there were more pictures and examples of drawings.
Briangma (verified owner) –
Very thoughtful in creating multi media projects! I was surprised to find more than paper art projects. I enjoyed this book!
hannak23 (verified owner) –
Very creative. I’m so impressed. Thank you for sharing all of this.
Kyle Horton (verified owner) –
This is a great resource to use with clients as a therapist and also personally. I have recommended it to several colleagues.
Mlee (verified owner) –
I really enjoyed this book and loved all the creative exercises in it. The exercises seem both fun and therapeutic which is the best combo for healing
BHornby (verified owner) –
I am a LPC and I work with children and teens. This book has provided a lot of great resources to use in my session. They are simple and do not require a high level of skill or supplies.
Zena (verified owner) –
Recommend
RS (verified owner) –
I’m a clinical psychologist and I’m so grateful for this book for helping me and my patients. It is so, so rich!
Caitlin (verified owner) –
I love the different ideas for art therapy exercises. I purchased this book to learn new ways to help teenagers open up while building a rapport. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, is that I wished there were more pictures to accompany each exercise.
linda here🥳 (verified owner) –
Luv, luv, luv this product. I have taken art therapy classes b4. This works with many medium’s of art, a time frame, set of goals, thorough instructions and explorative questions to ask yourself. Lists materials needed (preparedness) , and what the individual activity may help with. I want to add; the author did not produce her style in a book, but in cards numbered and color coded in a box. Oh, so psych. of her to make things more tangible, choosable, and chosen in the moment.! ✨🎉
Alicia Rosa (verified owner) –
I’ve only had this for a short while but I love it and it has been incredible helpful in sessions, especially with adolescents