Montana Art Therapy Association

Our mission

The Montana Art Therapy Association is an organization of professionals dedicated to the belief that making art promotes healing and well-being. Its mission is to serve its members and the general public by providing standards of professional competence, by training and education while developing and promoting knowledge in, and of, the field of art therapy in Montana.

Why Choose Art Therapy?

What is Art Therapy ?

Art therapy is an integrative mental health profession that combines knowledge and understanding of human development and psychological theories and techniques with visual arts and the creative process to provide a unique approach for helping clients improve psychological health, cognitive abilities, and sensory-motor functions. Art therapists use art media, and often the verbal processing of produced imagery, to help people resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight (AATA, 2016). – Defined by the American Art Therapy Association

Who benefits from Art Therapy?

Art therapy is used with children, adolescents, adults, older adults groups, and families to assess and treat the following:

Anxiety
Depression and other mental and emotional problems and disorders
Substance abuse and other addictions
Family and relationship issues
Abuse and domestic violence
Social and emotional difficulties related to disability and illness
Trauma and loss
Physical, cognitive and neurological problems
Psychosocial difficulties related to medical illness.

Additional benefits...

Art therapy helps people resolve conflicts, improve interpersonal skills, manage problematic behaviors, reduce negative stress, and achieve personal insight.