Art therapy: what happens in sessions, who it may help and how therapists are regulated

You work with materials such as pencils, paint, clay, collage, craft or digital tools while a therapist is present. Rather than judging the result, the therapist encourages you to use the process to explore feelings, and may invite you to talk about what you have made or simply to sit with it.

Cancer Research UK makes the point that you do not need to be able to draw or paint. The aim is not a finished picture but a way of expressing things that may be hard to put into words, such as fear, anger, grief or changes in how you see your body.

In the setting described by Cancer Research UK, art therapy may help people manage difficult emotions, adjust to body image changes, reduce anxiety and depression, and gain a distraction from physical discomfort. Those uses are described for people with cancer, and the HCPC defines arts therapists more broadly as psychological therapists using art, drama or music.

It offers a different route into expressing feelings for people who prefer not to rely only on talking. It is not a substitute for assessment if you are experiencing persistent low mood, thoughts of self-harm or severe anxiety, which need a GP, NHS 111 or, in an emergency, 999.

A 2018 systematic review reported that art therapy could improve emotional state and symptoms in people with cancer. Cancer Research UK also cites a UK survey in which 92% of people with cancer who had used art therapy found it helpful.

A survey of satisfaction is not the same as a controlled trial, and the review evidence draws on studies of varying size and design. The fair conclusion is that art therapy appears to be worthwhile for many participants and is low risk, but that larger and better-controlled studies would give more certainty.

The Health and Care Professions Council regulates 16 professions in the UK, and arts therapists are one of them. The Council defines an arts therapist as a psychological therapist with arts-based experience and training in psychological interventions using drama, music or art as the main mode of communication.

The protected titles include art psychotherapist, art therapist, dramatherapist and music therapist. Cancer Research UK points out that art therapist and art psychotherapist are protected by law, and suggests the British Association of Art Therapists for referrals. It is therefore worth asking for registration details and checking them on the regulator's register, rather than relying on a general description such as creative therapist.

• Ask whether the person is registered and with whom.

• Ask how sessions are structured and how many are usual.

• Ask what happens to anything you create and how it is stored.

Cancer Research UK reports that art therapy is sometimes available free at UK cancer centres, or through voluntary organisations at low cost. Availability is patchy and depends on local services, so a clinical nurse specialist, hospice team or GP is a sensible first source of information.

The HCPC page places arts therapists among regulated psychological therapists, so enquiries outside cancer care can also be directed to your GP or local mental health service.