Some people believe that art therapy is not a beneficial practice. This can be true. Medication is generally easier to prescribe and more readily available than a trip to another professional’s office. Not to mention, art therapy could be worked on independently, there is no need for another person to facilitate it. However, there is a study from 2016 involving children and sock puppets that would suggest otherwise.

 

Jane Siegel and her associates knew that childhood trauma could be brought about by early exposure to extended hospital visits. Using art therapy to promote personal healing and growth through the creative process, Siegel lead children through an activity in which they constructed their own sock creatures. After this activity, they were asked to rate how they felt in the hospital. The emotions from the start of the experiment to the end showed an increase in positive emotion amongst the children who created their sock friends (Siegel, et. alii, 2016). The emotions and coping mechanisms associated with creating the sock creatures translate not only into the home life of the child, but into their future, as well. The children, now that they have this instance of creativity correlated to positivity, will be more readily equipped with devices in which to handle similar situations as they arise in the future. Not only is art therapy beneficial, but it also promotes positive coping mechanisms and life skills for people of all ages to better deal with their emotions.