Art Therapy
Would you like to connect or reconnect with your creativity?
Are you looking to reduce anxiety or depression, release trauma, or find an alternative means of emotional expression?
Art Therapy at Body Positive Works combines the use of art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork within the therapeutic relationship to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, increase self-esteem, and connect with your creative side.
It can support healthy emotional expression, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, aid in processing past trauma, and help to explore and address negative behavior patterns, all while connecting with the creative part that exists within each and every one of us.
Call 201-708-8448 to book Art Therapy with us, request a callback or email us.
“Engaging in a creative process that enhances the mind-body connection, you can improve mood and cultivate a sense of calm and well-being”
Art Therapy: Self-Expression, Not Perfection
Art therapy isn’t about creating perfect, gallery-ready pieces of artwork. It’s a process that uses art as a means of exploration and expression. The focus is on the therapeutic journey and personal insights gained through the creation process, rather than the aesthetic appeal or technical accuracy of the final product.
Anyone can engage in art therapy, regardless of their artistic ability. The key lies in expressing oneself through the creative process, using art to explore feelings, emotions, and thoughts. There’s no need for technical skills or artistic talent. It’s about putting color to your experiences and emotions, and sometimes, the most meaningful pieces come from those who wouldn’t consider themselves ‘artists’.
In art therapy, you’re encouraged to freely create and explore without judgment or the pressure of creating “good art”. The art therapist guides you through the process, helping you to derive meaning and understanding from your creations, thereby supporting your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Art Therapy Near Me
Combining traditional psychotherapy theories and practice with an understanding of the creative process, art therapy provides a safe and gentle approach to exploring complex experiences and emotions.
Studies even suggest that by engaging in a creative process that enhances the mind-body connection, you can improve mood and cultivate a sense of calm and well-being, while simultaneously allowing whatever emotional content that needs to surface to do so.
Effective for people of all ages and backgrounds, art therapy can provide an alternative means of expression, especially for those who may have difficulty talking about thoughts and feelings.
Many individuals benefit from the practice, including but not limited to: those dealing with stress management, anxiety, or depression; people living with adverse physical health conditions; and individuals navigating grief and loss.
Please know, you do not have to be an artist or have any art skills to receive the benefits of Art Therapy. The only thing that you need is to be open to allowing some creativity into your life.
A wide variety of art materials will be available for use in sessions, ranging from traditional drawing materials to clay, paint, fabric, and more!
Lindsay
Art Therapist, ATR-BC, ATCS, LCAT (NY), LPAT (NJ)
Introducing Lindsay Lederman, our dedicated Art Therapist. Lindsay has committed her career to sharing the power of art therapy with children, teens, and adults through a strength-based and humanistic approach. Her solid education, with an undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and a Masters from the School of Visual Arts Art Therapy Program, set the stage for her journey.
Back in 2007, Lindsay got her start at St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital as their very first Art Therapist in the child and family outpatient clinic. Here, she played an important part in starting up the Art Therapy program. From there, she moved on to the hospital’s adolescent day program, CARES, and later took her knack for beginning Art Therapy programs to Nemours Hospital for Children.
Lindsay’s work has earned her some recognition. You might have seen her featured in Thrive Global, or perhaps you’ve come across her talks about Art Therapy at popular NYC hospitals. She was even selected to participate in a documentary on art’s role in the grieving process. Plus, she’s shared her insights in publications like the Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal and the Journal of Palliative Care.
As a licensed and board-certified Art Therapist, Lindsay pulls from a range of therapeutic techniques, including art and talk therapy interventions. She strives to build a personalized, welcoming environment for each client, always keeping their unique needs in mind. Lindsay wholeheartedly believes in the magic of art and creativity as tools for overcoming challenges, managing stress, and helping clients find their spark of hope and purpose again.
With Lindsay, Art Therapy is about using the creative process, symbolism, and metaphor to meet your therapeutic goals and needs. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be an artist to benefit. Lindsay is experienced in dealing with a variety of concerns, from anxiety disorders and depression to loss, bereavement, addictions, life transitions, and environmental stressors. She offers sessions both in-person and virtually, and they often involve both art creation and conversation. She provides a variety of art materials, so there’s no limit to how you can express yourself.
Through the wonderful combination of traditional psychotherapy with the creative arts, our art therapist helps you to open up pathways for connection to yourself and tap into your creative process, accessing the parts of the brain that words may not always get to and using that process to support your mental health needs.
Our highly qualified and experienced Art Therapist combines the use of art media, the creative process and the resulting artwork within the therapeutic relationship to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem and connect with your creative side in a therapeutic environment.
Our Art Therapy New Jersey combines traditional psychotherapy theories and practice with an understanding of the creative process.
Specializing in addiction, anxiety, depression, grief + loss, eating disorders + disordered eating, negative body image, and trauma.
To book Art Therapy call 201-708-8448.
“Reconnect to your creative self in a way that can enhance your engagement in a fulfilling life”
Art Therapy with Body Positive Works
Art Therapy sessions at Body Positive Works are a collaborative experience that offers spontaneous art-making or structured art experiences that focus on specific goals. Our Art Therapist supports your work, both visually and verbally, to connect to your therapeutic goals. It is a practice that allows for a connection or reconnection to your creative self in a way that can enhance your engagement in a fulfilling life.
Our focus is on what the individual needs in the moment, so art-making may not necessarily be a part of each session.
◓ Can enhance or add to the traditional therapy experience
◐ Offers a creative approach to life’s challenges
◑ For those who may have difficulty or don’t always enjoy talking about thoughts and feelings, art therapy offers an alternative means of expression. Also, it’s fun, even when it’s in therapy!
◒ Lowers cortisol levels (stress hormone) and increases serotonin (the pleasure hormone)
◓ By engaging in the creative process and doing art alongside a trained clinician, art therapy offers an opportunity to address and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in a way that is supportive, non-judgmental, and enjoyable
◐ Helps you to find ways to safely explore overwhelming emotions related to addiction, grief, negative body image, and trauma, which can allow you to address these issues with less overwhelm when there are no words or talking may not be enough
Book Art Therapy in New Jersey
Art therapy sessions at Body Positive Works can help you to cope with life’s challenges and find meaning in your life by expressing and exploring feelings and emotions through a creative process.
Our art therapist helps you to gain insight into problems that you may be facing and learn coping skills to navigate and work through issues such as anger, anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma.
An effective way to help if you have experienced trauma or mental illness, art therapy has been used for decades to treat everything from anxiety disorders to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Often used as part of other therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), art therapy can support you in coping with difficult emotions and behaviors.
Our art therapy practice also provides counseling services for helping to deal with issues related to eating disorders, substance abuse, and other emotional and psychological matters.
Art Therapy FAQ
Art therapy has been used successfully with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. It can also be helpful for those who have experienced trauma or who suffer from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, eating disorders, or substance abuse.
Art therapy can include dance, drama, drawing, music, painting, poetry, sculpting, writing, and other forms of artistic expression.
Art Therapy is held by a licensed mental health practice in New Jersey. Requirements include a Master’s or Doctorate degree from a qualified program, passing of a national board certification examination, and at least 1500 hours of post-graduate supervised clinical experience.