Art Therapy vs Art Psychotherapy
Understanding the Difference
In the UK, the terms Art Therapy and Art Psychotherapy are often used interchangeably, and both refer to the therapeutic use of visual art to support emotional expression and mental health. However, when choosing a trained therapist or exploring therapy options, it's helpful to understand the subtle but important distinctions between them.
This page explains the differences in qualifications, settings, and approach so that you can make an informed decision about the type of therapy practice that best suits your needs.
What’s the Difference Between Art Therapy and Art Psychotherapy?
Art Therapy | Art Psychotherapy | |
|---|---|---|
Title | Sometimes used as a general term or job title in creative arts therapy. | Legally protected title under the HCPC. |
Registration | May or may not be HCPC-registered. | Always HCPC-registered (Health & Care Professions Council). |
Clinical Training | Varies not always at postgraduate level. | Postgraduate clinical training in psychotherapy and mental health. |
Approach | May focus on art activity, creative expression, and emotional support. | Integrates therapeutic process, depth psychology, unconscious processes, and psychodynamic theory. |
Settings
| Often found in community settings, education, or wellbeing projects. | Typically offered in clinical settings including NHS, personal therapy, private practice, or hospitals. |
Focus
| Can support therapeutic goals such as emotional wellbeing, social connection, and confidence. | Offers structured, relational therapy for trauma, complex emotions, and mental health issues. |
Why I Use the Term Art Psychotherapy
I am a HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapist with over a decade of clinical experience in both public and private healthcare settings, including the NHS and leading private hospitals in London. My work is grounded in psychodynamic psychotherapy and incorporates the art making process to help clients explore difficult emotional material that may be hard to articulate through words alone.
This is not an art class, recreational group, or casual creative activity. It is a professional, therapeutic art process that uses art media as a tool for emotional expression, self-reflection, and trauma integration.
Sessions are always tailored to you. You do not need to be ‘good at art’ or even consider yourself creative. What matters is curiosity and a willingness to engage with what the image brings up, in a safe and confidential therapeutic relationship.
When Might Art Psychotherapy Be Right for You?
Art Psychotherapy may be helpful if:
- You find it hard to express yourself through words alone
- You’re carrying unresolved trauma or complex emotions
- You’ve tried talk therapy and want a deeper, integrative approach
- You are neurodivergent and benefit from non-verbal forms of creative arts psychotherapy
- You feel emotionally stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed
What Happens in a Session?
Sessions are 50 minutes and take place in my Harley Street Medical Quarter therapy practice, St Pauls in the City of London or online where appropriate.
You’ll have access to a wide range of art media and art materials from charcoal and pastels to digital tools like iPad and Apple Pencil. These materials can support different kinds of art making depending on your comfort level.
You can talk, create, reflect, or simply be present. There is no pressure to make art every time. The artwork becomes a therapeutic process visual art — a third presence in the room that helps access emotion, memory, and meaning with depth and care.
Final Thought
If you’re exploring the difference between art therapy and Art Psychotherapy, it may help to ask: “Am I looking for creative emotional support, or a structured psychotherapy that uses art to explore deeper issues?”
Both forms of work can offer significant therapeutic benefit. What matters most is that you feel safe, understood, and supported in a way that aligns with your needs and therapeutic goals. If you are seeking high-quality, discreet, and psychologically grounded support, I welcome you to get in touch for an complimentary confidential 15-minute consultation.
Book a complimentary consultation or a private therapy session.