| Art therapy can most easily be understood as the marriage between psychology and art. A participant in an art therapy program is able to enter a dialogue with an art therapist by using artistic expression, a process art therapists say is especially advantageous for people unable to communicate verbally.;The discipline is at least 50 years old, and while the ranks of art therapists continue to grow, it has not become part of establishment mental healthcare treatment regimens. Research into the efficacy of art therapy is ongoing, but many believe art therapy is nothing more than an enjoyable diversion and not a "real" therapy that achieves meaningful results.;Since a substantial part of the burden of financing mental healthcare falls on taxpayers---and since what constitutes improvement in matters of mental health can be viewed as somewhat subjective---people should be aware of how art therapy and other alternatives are being investigated and implemented.;If art therapy is demonstrably effective, common sense policy should dictate it become more readily available. Yet if efficacy remains questionable, compelling arguments exist on both sides of the debate with respect to how art therapy should be treated. |
