For this particular research paper I will be looking at some details about the use of art therapy and some of the techniques used for art therapy. This is a spiritual technique that is not often used in counseling sessions, especially with adults, although it is a useful technique for all ages, and it is a spiritual technique that I am not very familiar with. This article will explore art therapy, as well as some examples of some of the techniques used. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Many people have difficulty expressing themselves when they have complications in their lives. This is even more difficult for people suffering from substance abuse. The reason we have therapy is so that people who need help with substance abuse are able to express themselves well enough that they can make progress through recovery. Many different places offer different types of treatment methods involving: music, religion, etc. Another type of therapy they offer, which I am not familiar with, is the use of art therapy. I've heard of people expressing themselves through art before, but I'm not entirely sure how. This article delves into how the use of art therapy is helpful for people suffering from substance abuse. The use of art therapy in counseling first began in the early 1940s, when therapists began to notice that the use of art in sessions was therapeutic. Therapists such as Edward Adamson of Great Britain and Dr. Edith Kramer began using art therapy in their sessions and noticed how well it impacted their clients suffering from substance abuse. Art therapy is a technique that helps the counselor interact better with their clients where words may fail them at certain stages of recovery. Today the use of art therapy is respected as a form of psychotherapy and you can find it in many drug rehab centers, mental health clinics, prisons, etc. (The Ranch, 2015). You may wonder why use art as a therapeutic technique. The reason is that many addicts who are trying to recover are unable to express many of the things they may be feeling. Using art in therapy allows them to communicate and reflect on things that have happened in their lives and things that are said during the session. This could help the client deal with internal and external conflicts they may be struggling with and help the therapist build rapport with the client so they can both communicate better (The Ranch, 2015). Art therapy has been widespread. a long time, but it wasn't until the late 20th century that scientists and therapists began using the techniques in real-life sessions. Once they realized that using art therapy reduces client stress and anxiety, many people began using this technique in their office. Not only that, art therapy helps the client begin to build a level of trust with others in their life to recover. This works well because not only will the client begin to trust their counselor, but it may help them open up more to other people they interact with (The Ranch, 2015). Art therapy is not only useful for helping the client to open up, it is also useful for helping the client's mind. Using creative art helps engage different parts of a person's brain that might not normally be used, namely the right side of the brain. Not only does the use of art therapy help a person with their hand-eye coordination skills and help them transform things like emotions, internal/external conflicts andfears into something concrete that the therapist can then understand. This is very helpful in helping the client rationalize some of the things they are going through. There are still many studies and research underway on the use of art therapy, but this technique is widely used in places (The Ranch, 2015). Art therapy is a great technique used for addiction sessions, but that's not the only place it is used. I stated previously that art therapy has been, and still is, the subject of research by many scientists and therapists who believe this type of treatment is effective. Art therapy is used in the psychosocial treatment of cancer, it helps a person have a positive outlook on their body image and is really useful for helping with the distress of others. These are all things that can help a person recover throughout life, no matter what they are going through (Malchiodi, 2015). These are the only things art therapy can help someone with. There have been studies showing a decrease in depression and fatigue in people who undergo chemotherapy, helps strengthen positive feelings, relieves the distress of others, helps people clarify existential questions they may have about certain situations , the list goes on as to what the use of art therapy can be beneficial for a person (Malchiodi, 2015). Research has shown that children with cancer who engage in drawing, painting, etc. it can help them reduce their anxiety, give them positive feelings about their quality of life, and strengthens their self-concept. Not only will this be helpful with people going through cancer treatment, but it can also help people suffering from substance abuse addiction. Suffice it to say that something as simple as art is quite effective in helping people heal (Malchiodi, 2015). Art therapy can be used by people of all ages, but is usually most useful when it comes to counseling children. There are many different assessments and techniques that clients can participate in with their therapist, but I will list three just to give you an idea of ​​these assessments. One of the techniques is the use of doll making. With doll building you will have a customer refurbish a doll from whatever ragged image it is and this may help the customer find deeper meaning about what it means for their life when they build the doll. What I mean by this is that the customer will see their doll in such terrible shape but with hard work and time that doll can be reshaped and transformed into something new (The Ranch, 2015). The unfurnished doll can help represent the client at their lowest, and over time that doll will begin to heal the way the client themselves wants to heal and how they see themselves as a healer. The second technique that can be used in art therapy is with street drawing. A client's participation in road design can be interpreted in many ways when dealing with the client. The use of drawing a road can reflect the life path the client is following and how far they see themselves going in this life path. A road drawing can help interpret many things, such as how they view their life, their life choices, and whether it will be a smooth or bumpy road along the way as they continue the transition to recovery (The Ranch, 2015) . This type of assessment seems really effective for adults going through addiction. Many adults are older, so they will be able to look back to now to see where they might be headed in their future endeavors. This type of assessment may not be..