When your teen enters a treatment program, you may notice "art therapy" on the weekly schedule and wonder what it actually involves. Is it just a craft break between serious sessions? Will your teen really get anything out of drawing? For many teens in treatment, art therapy turns out to be one of the most meaningful parts of their day. It gives them a way to express what they cannot yet say out loud, practice coping skills with their hands and see their progress on paper.
This guide explains common art therapy activities for teens while in treatment, organized by the stage of treatment and the goal each activity serves. It also covers what a session looks like, who leads it and what parents can expect. If you are looking for creative ideas to try at home or in a school setting, see our separate article on art therapy ideas for teens.
The American Art Therapy Association describes art therapy as a mental health profession that uses active art-making, the creative process and applied psychological theory within a psychotherapeutic relationship. That last part is key. Art therapy is not the same as an art class or a craft activity. A trained art therapist uses the process and the artwork to help a teen explore feelings, build skills and work toward treatment goals.
Your teen does not need any artistic talent. The focus is on the process and what it reveals, not on making something beautiful.
In the US, the Art Therapy Credentials Board grants the Registered Art Therapist (ATR) credential and the Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) credential, which requires an active ATR and passing a national exam. When you are comparing programs, it is reasonable to ask whether art therapy is led by a credentialed art therapist or by other staff using art-based activities. Both can be helpful, but they are not the same.
- It lowers the pressure to talk. Many teens shut down in traditional therapy. Making art gives them something to do with their hands and eyes while feelings surface.
- It gives shape to feelings. Teens can draw a feeling before they can name it.
- It supports trauma work. Traumatic memories are often stored as images and sensations. Art provides a contained way to approach them.
- It builds coping skills. Focused art-making can calm the nervous system and becomes a tool teens can use after discharge.
- It shows progress. Comparing early and later artwork can help teens see how far they have come.
Most programs, whether residential, partial hospitalization or an intensive outpatient program, move through rough stages. Art therapy activities often match each stage.
| Stage | Main goals | Common art therapy activities |
|---|
| Early treatment (first days and weeks) | Safety, trust, emotional expression | Feelings color wheel, safe place drawing, scribble drawing, name or identity collage |
| Middle treatment | Exploring underlying issues, trauma, relationships | Mask making, timeline of life events, family drawing, inner critic portrait |
| Later treatment and discharge planning | Coping skills, identity, relapse prevention, hope | Coping skills toolbox, bridge drawing, future self portrait, relapse prevention map |
Teens assign colors to different emotions and fill a circle to show how much of each they feel today. Repeated over weeks, it becomes a visual mood tracker and helps teens build emotional vocabulary.
Teens draw or paint a place, real or imagined, where they feel completely safe. The image becomes a grounding tool they can picture during distress. This is often one of the first activities in trauma-informed programs.
On the outside of a mask, teens show how others see them or the face they show the world. On the inside, they show what they really feel. This is a powerful way to explore the gap between appearance and reality, which is common in teens with depression, eating disorders or substance use.
Teens map important events in their lives with images and symbols. The timeline helps them and their therapist see patterns, losses, traumas and strengths. It is usually done carefully, with the therapist pacing how much detail to include.
Teens draw their harsh inner voice as a character, then draw a supportive counterpart. Giving the critic a form makes it easier to challenge. It pairs well with skills from cognitive behavioral therapy and our guide on teen self-hate talk.
Teens represent their family using people, animals or shapes. Size, distance and placement often reveal how they experience family relationships. These drawings can open conversations in family therapy.
Teens design a box, vault or other container to "hold" overwhelming thoughts and memories between sessions. This helps teens in trauma work manage what comes up.
Teens decorate a real box and fill it with cards, images and objects representing their coping skills: breathing techniques, people to call, calming activities. They take it home at discharge.
Teens draw a bridge from where they are now to where they want to be, adding obstacles and supports along the way. It is useful for discharge and relapse prevention planning.
Teens imagine themselves a year or five years from now and create an image of that person. This builds hope and motivation, especially for teens who struggle to picture a future.
Teens in a group each contribute to one large piece, often around a shared theme like recovery or strength. Group murals build connection, communication and a sense of belonging.
Working with clay engages the body and can be calming or a safe outlet for anger. Teens might sculpt a feeling, a support person or an obstacle they are working to overcome.
| Treatment focus | Activities often used |
|---|
| Depression | Feelings color wheel, future self portrait, gratitude collage |
| Anxiety | Safe place drawing, mandala coloring, worry monster drawing |
| Trauma | Container drawing, safe place, carefully paced life timeline |
| Substance use | Mask making, relapse prevention map, bridge drawing |
| Self-harm | Coping skills toolbox, emotion mapping on a body outline, inner ally drawing |
| Eating disorders | Mask making, identity collage, inner critic portrait, often alongside body image therapy |
Sessions in treatment programs often last about an hour and may be individual or group-based. A typical session includes:
- Check-in: a quick look at how everyone is feeling.
- Warm-up: a short, low-pressure activity such as a scribble drawing.
- Main directive: the core activity, connected to treatment goals.
- Reflection: teens share as much or as little as they want about what they made. The therapist asks open questions rather than interpreting the art for them.
- Closing: a grounding activity to help teens transition back to the day.
Art therapy often works alongside other experiential approaches such as music therapy, psychodrama and experiential therapy, as well as core therapies like DBT.
- Artwork may be private. Many programs treat art like any other therapy material. Your teen may choose what to share.
- Some pieces may be hard to see. Dark or intense art often reflects feelings your teen is finally expressing, which is a healthy step. Ask the therapist about anything that worries you rather than reacting in front of your teen.
- You may be invited in. Family sessions sometimes include joint art activities, such as a shared drawing that helps family members communicate differently.
- Skills come home. Ask what coping activities your teen found helpful and support them after discharge.
The skills teens practice in art therapy do not have to end when treatment does. Help your teen set up a small art kit at home with a sketchbook, markers or paints. Encourage a quick feelings drawing or a few minutes of mandala coloring when stress builds. If your teen continues outpatient therapy, ask whether an art therapist is available. Avoid analyzing or critiquing what your teen makes; the goal is expression, not a finished product.
- Is art therapy led by a credentialed art therapist (ATR or ATR-BC)?
- How often do teens have art therapy each week?
- Is it individual, group or both?
- How is art therapy connected to my teen's treatment plan?
- How is artwork kept private, and will my teen bring it home?
Programs serving adolescents that list art therapy can be found by browsing our art therapy page and programs for adolescents. Adolescent programs include Nexus Teen Academy Oak, Polaris Teen Center and Hillcrest Adolescent Treatment Center; confirm which therapies each offers. You can also search FindTreatment.gov or call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. If your teen is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Common art therapy activities for teens while in treatment, from safe place drawings and mask making to coping skills toolboxes and future self portraits, give teens a way to express, process and practice what traditional talk therapy sometimes cannot reach. Led by a trained therapist and tied to treatment goals, art therapy is a real therapeutic tool, not just a break in the schedule. Ask programs how they use it, respect your teen's privacy about their art and help them carry the skills home.
Frequently asked questions
Common activities include feelings color wheels, safe place drawings, mask making, life timelines, inner critic portraits, family drawings, container drawings, coping skills toolboxes, bridge drawings, future self portraits, group murals and clay work.
No. Art therapy focuses on the creative process and what it brings up, not on artistic skill. Teens of any ability can benefit.
Ideally a credentialed art therapist. The Art Therapy Credentials Board grants the Registered Art Therapist (ATR) and Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC) credentials. Some programs also use art-based activities led by other clinical staff.
Art therapy takes place within a therapeutic relationship and is tied to treatment goals. The therapist uses the art-making process to help teens express feelings, process experiences and build coping skills.
It depends on the program and your teen. Many programs treat artwork as private therapy material, and teens may choose what to share. Some family sessions include joint art activities.
Art therapy offers a contained, nonverbal way to approach difficult memories and feelings. Activities like safe place drawings and container drawings help teens feel grounded while they work through trauma at a safe pace.
This article was reviewed by the RehabsNearMe Editorial Team for accuracy, clarity, and relevance. Information may be sourced from publicly available treatment resources, government agencies, and healthcare references where applicable.
Last reviewed: November 2026
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