Kathy’s Journey to Art Therapy
Kathy is a Brooklyn-based art therapist practicing at Mind in Motion Psychology. Kathy’s path to therapy isn’t linear; it is deeply personal and fueled by a desire for deeper connection.
Before becoming a therapist, Kathy was in the fashion industry. Creativity was always central to her identity. However, she “wanted a career that felt more meaningful”. This desire led her to pursue a master’s degree in art therapy, transitioning from helping design garments to clients’ relationships with themselves.
As a therapist, Kathy blends curiosity, creativity, and compassion into her sessions, which she calls her “three Cs”.
What Is Art Therapy?
Kathy recalls that she gets asked if art therapy is just for kids. However, she denies and elaborates on the impact on adults who may feel stuck in traditional talk therapy or struggle with expressing themselves with words alone.
Art therapy isn't about how good you are at drawing, It's about the process, not the product. Even making simple marks, playing with color, or shaping clay can unlock emotions and stories that are hard to articulate."
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art-making as a medium for expression. In sessions, clients use creative materials such as paint, pastels, collage, and clay to practice self-expression, regulation, and exploration. Studies have illustrated how not only does art therapy give people a greater sense of control over their well-being, but it also reduces anxiety and depression. Kathy’s therapy helps people engage their visual, tactile, and even kinesthetic senses by offering a nonverbal outlet for complex feelings and fostering personal growth.
Kathy believes that art can access emotional truths that cannot be reached with words. This approach is particularly beneficial for those who are facing life transitions, anxiety, and identity struggles. Kathy recalls silence in her sessions as a tool that “allows insight to emerge” and a “space to breathe”. Kathy attunes to each client’s needs; some prefer to talk while others work on their art in focused silence.
A moment from an art therapy session.
Choosing Between Individual and Group Art Therapy
Art therapy isn’t just for individual settings; it can also be conducted in a group. One-on-one sessions allow deep, personalized dialogue while group sessions provide a space for shared experiences and connection. In group settings, Kathy and her clients create community murals, for example, which foster collaboration, build trust, and develop a sense of belonging.
This inclusive approach resonates with clients from all backgrounds. One participant shared their own experience.
Distressed by the war in Ukraine and the struggle of being forced to migrate, the patient participated in a group activity that had approximately four to five participants, which sometimes met offline and sometimes online. The patients were allowed to paint with different media and write creative stories. Although the patient shared that the cases she shared overlapped with the individual therapy she was simultaneously receiving, the treatment was drastically different.
The patient recalls that art therapy had given her “a bird’s eye view”. The patient struggles with the first few sessions, chastising herself, unable to choose which color to put in her painting, and often unable to understand how her painting would be translated into anything therapeutic. However, in the course of the five months she received treatment, the patient was able to see herself in a broader context and accept the therapeutic impact of art therapy. She also recites that it has helped her make more strategic decisions.
Without the art therapist, everything drawn could have stayed on the page without carrying any weight."
The patient recommends that art therapy helps people notice and name psychological occurrences within themselves, and also suggests that the patients should take responsibility and learn from the newly gained perspective.
Art therapy isn’t about perfect pictures, but about expressing feelings and seeing situations from a different angle.
Creativity as Expression, Not Perfection
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