What Is Creative Arts Therapy in Addiction Treatment?

Creative arts therapy is a therapeutic process that uses creative interventions just as painting and origami to encourage individuals to express and understand themselves, to relax, and to fully experience recovery and well-being. Creative arts therapy can be especially beneficial for individuals who have experienced trauma or loss and can be used in substance abuse treatment as a non-traditional outlet for free expression, both in an unconscious and conscious manner.

How Does Creative Art Therapy Assist in Addiction Treatment?

In creative arts therapy sessions, clients use familiar and new materials to explore their emotions, experiences, and challenges. The goal isn’t to create perfect art—it’s to express feelings and gain insight. As clients engage in the creative process, they begin to lower emotional walls and find healthier ways to communicate. Artistic skill isn’t required. What matters is the effort and reflection during the activity. Often, clients leave feeling proud or surprised by what their artwork reveals, gaining self-awareness and emotional relief.

Are There Studies For Creative Art Therapy in Addiction Treatment?

A study published in the Journal of Addiction Nursing found that incorporating art and music therapy programs was associated with more positive results than programs that did not offer these therapies. Both art and music therapy encourage you to express yourself through creating art and experiencing music. The arts are strongly tied to emotion and emotional responses. Through art therapy you are more likely to explore your emotions and express them through another outlet in addition to talk therapy.

Benefits of Creative Arts Therapy

• Increases self-esteem
• Improves physical, emotional, and mental well-being
• Helps clients work through or resolve personal issues
• Assists in teaching clients how to manage their behaviors and feelings
• Improves self-awareness
• Increases clients’ abilities to cope with symptoms of stress and anxiety

Creative Arts Therapy in Addiction Treatment

Creative arts therapists lead individual and group sessions during rehab. They use art directives and assessments to spark meaningful dialogue—formally or informally.

For example, a therapist might prompt a Bridge Drawing exercise. Clients then discuss past experiences, future goals, challenges, spirituality, and their confidence in recovery. We introduce this tool early and revisit it throughout treatment.

Clients complete various art projects to build problem-solving, stress-reduction, and help-seeking skills. These also support practical coping strategies.

Example activities include:

• Origami

• Collage

• Mandala creation

• Art journaling

• Scribble drawings

• Mindful doodling

During discussions, clients explore the emotional process behind their work and connect those challenges to issues like emotional regulation, stress, or substance use.

We also incorporate reflective distancing. Clients create art, write about it for five minutes, then share it with the group. This method helps clients notice hidden emotions, reflect on their work, and gain insight into handling tough feelings or concepts.