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Anxiety can reduce a youth’s quality of life by making school harder, straining relationships, and even increasing the risk of suicide.
For anxiety disorders, the most common treatment currently includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medication. However, nearly 20% to 50% of teens don’t see total improvement of symptoms, with many experts exploring supplemental therapies such as Art Therapy to improve treatment outcomes [1].
In art therapy, teens use visual media such as painting, drawing, sculpting, and clay modeling, as well as music, movement, dance, and expressive writing. Growing research reports positive effects of art therapy for teens, including helping them express emotions, increase self-esteem, and reduce anxiety.
What is Art Therapy? Is It Effective?
Art therapy is a type of mental health treatment where trained therapists use the creative process of making art, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, or collage, to help patients explore emotions, reduce stress, build self-awareness, and develop coping skills, often when verbal expression is difficult.
Research shows art therapy is effective for conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and trauma, with studies reporting 60-75% of participants experiencing reduced symptoms. It has also been found to improve emotional regulation, boost self-esteem, and increase neuroplasticity through dopamine release and new neural pathways [2].
Art therapy can provide teens with an outlet to explore their identity, manage peer pressure, address family conflicts, or heal from trauma, using techniques such as mandalas or expressive drawing.
Types of Art Therapy
“Art therapy” can refer to visual art therapy, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, or collaging, but also falls under broader creative arts therapies, which include modalities such as music therapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, and poetry/writing therapy.
- Visual Art Therapies
Painting, drawing, sculpting, coloring, crafting, doodling
- Expressive Art Therapies
Poetry, journaling, drama therapy, dance/movement therapy, music therapy
Common Activities in Art Therapy
Emotion Wheels: Color-coded art helps teens to identify, articulate, and visualize their feelings for better emotional awareness.
Family Sculptures: Three-dimensional figures representing the family system to gain insight into relationships in the home.
Phototherapy: A type of photography that uses personal photos to help people remember things and talk about their feelings.
Story Stones: Paint images on stones to build and share personal stories, helping imagination and expanding emotional vocabulary.
Memory Boxes: Decorate containers with meaningful items for reflective storytelling and self-discovery.
Mood Boards: Assemble pre-cut images, magazines, or quotes to help spark emotional expression or visualize things that bring them joy or to visualize their goals.
Puppet Therapy: Uses puppets to explore emotions and relationships safely, distancing clients from direct confrontation.
How Does Art Therapy Help With Anxiety in Teens?
Art therapy helps teens with anxiety by giving them a safe, creative way to express overwhelming feelings without needing to talk about them right away. And studies show it actually works.
A 2024 review of six studies showed a high rate of effectiveness, particularly for anxiety linked to school stress and social triggers. Results showed that 45 minutes of unstructured art-making encouraged natural dopamine release and regulated the amygdala-driven fight-or-flight response [3].
It outperformed weekly talk therapy sessions when done twice-weekly, making it ideal for outpatient or residential programs targeting generalized anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, and trauma [3].
What Other Conditions Can Art Therapy Treat?
Besides anxiety, art therapy offers powerful benefits for several other mental health disorders and physical conditions as well [4][5].
- PTSD and Trauma: Process traumatic memories through storytelling with art, which can help reduce flashbacks, hypervigilance, and emotional distress by externalizing the experiences in a safe, non-verbal way.
- Depression: Boosts mood, self-esteem, and cognitive function, challenging negative thought patterns, and sparking joy through color and imagination.
- Eating Disorders: Art can explore body image and emotional triggers that drive restricting or bingeing episodes.
- Addiction: Imagery and collage work uncover underlying triggers, supporting recovery by building resilience and alternative healthy outlets for cravings.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: Non-verbal art can support communication, social skills, and emotional regulation, helping neurodivergent teens express needs and reduce sensory overload.
- ADHD/ADD: Drawing and sculpting can improve focus and teach ADHD teens who struggle with emotional dysregulation how to tolerate frustration, teaching art as a creative process rather than an end project to perfect.
- Cancer and Chronic Illness: Art therapy has been found to relieve treatment-related stress, pain, and fatigue and improve self-image for patients during chemotherapy [6].
Art Therapy for Teens in Texas: Treating Anxiety with Emotional Expression
Clearfork Academy is a network of behavioral health treatment facilities helping teens recover from substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. Along with conventional therapies such as CBT and DBT, we also offer art therapy to help teens manage triggers, cravings, and prevent relapse.
Our behavioral health center offers several levels of care, including residential treatment, partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP), to meet the needs of teens and their families at all stages of recovery. Contact our admissions team today to see how we can support your teen.
Sources
[1] Murad, H. et al. (2017). Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Pharmacotherapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics, 171(11), 1049–1056.
[2] Perkes, I. et al. (2025). Art therapy with children and adolescents experiencing acute or severe mental health conditions: A systematic review. The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 59(10), 863–887.
[3] Abdullah, B. (2024). The effects of art therapy interventions on anxiety in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil), 79, 100404.
[4] Haeyen, S. et al. 2025. The Effectiveness of Trauma Focused Art Therapy (TFAT). HAN University of Applied Sciences
[5] Applewhite, B. et al. Creative arts-based interventions for the improvement of PTSD symptoms in young people: a meta-analysis with a focus on non-Western populations. Nat. Mental Health (2025).
[6] Huang, T. et al. 2025. Exploring the benefits of art therapy for anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer: A meta-analytical systematic review. Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Austin Davis, LPC-S
Founder & CEO
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas. Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design. Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.
