My Experience with Art Therapy…

…better known as how I know art therapy makes a lasting impact.

Let’s be real. We lie to ourselves ALL. THE. TIME. These lies can be helpful to us when we use them as a way to cope with our the trauma and stressors in our life. They can also be harmful; keeping us from seeing our reality.

I am not sure which mine were.

When I entered college I knew EVERYTHING… you know, because I was now an adult. Well, everything except why I felt broken. By chance, I had enrolled in a class called “Intro to Art Therapy”. I arrived excited to be doing art again (I liked to think I was artistic in high school). Little did I know what was going to happen next…

The first day, I entered the classroom. Light music was playing. Flutes. Art materials were out. The instructor, in a calm voice said “Draw a memory of your favorite place.”

I struggled to think of what to draw. For some reason recalling memories, good and bad, was a struggle for me.

I drew a picture of a barn in crayon. After the drawing, came the processing. “Oh no! I have to share why I drew this?! I have no clue”.

Classmates began to tell their stories, this made me less nervous to share mine. So when it was my turn I opened up about great times in the barn and the hay and the animals. Things I have never shared and seemed like an entire lifetime ago.

Like that, I was hooked. After class I went back to my room and proudly displayed my stick figure, crayon scribbled barn on my dorm wall like it was a masterpiece.

Through art I was able to make connections to times in my past I had forgotten. I could express anger, happiness, sadness, excitement and not be judged for being “too emotional”.

Art gave me a voice I was confident in.

Kristin Schmidt

MS, ATR, LPC | Art Therapist & Licensed Professional Counselor

"A true artist is not one who is inspired but one who inspires"            - Salvador Dali

Throughout my life I have had many passions. Triathlon. Art. Unique individuals with different needs. Giving back to the community. Family. 

These areas have led me to work with individuals with different needs and their caregivers to provide art therapy, counseling, deep conversation, and a partner to help achieve one's goals. 

I find so much joy in working with children, teens and adults so that they are able to express their feelings in a safe, creative, messy and completely organic way. 

To see those I work with to find their "true artist" as they explore art materials as a means to communicate their inner most feelings inspires me every. single. day.