Art Therapy
Art therapy lets you express and process what is hard to put into words, using creativity as a path to healing. As part of holistic treatment in Massachusetts, it gives people in recovery a safe, powerful outlet for emotions that talk alone cannot always reach.
What Is Art Therapy?
Art therapy uses creative expression, drawing, painting, collage, and other media, to help people explore feelings, process experiences, and reduce stress. You do not need any artistic skill. The focus is on the process of creating, not the finished product, and on what it helps you access and release.
At New Wave, art therapy is part of our daily holistic programming in Massachusetts. For many people, especially those healing from trauma, creativity can reach places that words cannot, making it a valuable complement to clinical care.
Who Art Therapy Is For
No artistic talent required. Art therapy is especially helpful if you:
- Find it hard to put feelings into words
- Are healing from trauma or deep grief
- Feel stuck or shut down in talk therapy
- Carry stress that needs a healthy outlet
- Are reconnecting with yourself and your sense of identity
- Respond well to hands-on, creative experiences
How Art Therapy Helps Mental Health and Recovery
Creative expression engages parts of the brain and heart that talk therapy cannot always reach.
For addiction recovery, art therapy offers a healthy outlet for the intense emotions that surface in early sobriety, and a way to process them without turning to substances. The act of creating can also rebuild a sense of accomplishment, identity, and joy that addiction often eroded.
For mental health, art therapy is especially powerful for trauma, where words can feel inadequate or even unsafe. Creating gives feelings a form, lowers anxiety, and helps people externalize and make sense of experiences that have felt locked inside.
In art therapy at New Wave you might:
Use drawing, painting, or collage to explore emotions
Create alongside a trained, supportive facilitator
Process trauma and grief through imagery, not words
Reflect on what your work brings up, at your own pace
Experiment freely with no pressure to perform
Reconnect with creativity, play, and self-expression
Art therapy complements verbal work like individual therapy and pairs well with calming practices such as mindfulness and meditation.
The Benefits of Art Therapy
The benefits reach well beyond the page or canvas.
- A safe outlet for difficult emotions
- A non-verbal way to process trauma
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Renewed sense of identity and accomplishment
- Greater self-awareness and insight
- Reconnection with creativity and joy
Many people are surprised by how much relief and insight comes from simply making something with their hands.
Explore Our Holistic Therapies
Holistic healing happens every day at New Wave, woven alongside clinical care. Explore the other practices in this approach.
Art Therapy
Express and process through creativity.
You are here
Real-life skills for independent living.
Care that feels different
We were founded by people in long-term recovery, so the way we treat you comes from having been where you are. That shows up in everything we do.
Founded by people in recovery
When you call New Wave, you talk to someone who has walked this path, not a call center. This is personal for us.
The same therapist throughout
You keep your private therapist as you move between levels of care, so your progress is never interrupted and you never start over.
Holistic care, every day
Reiki, yoga, sound healing, and mindfulness are woven into daily treatment alongside evidence-based therapy, not offered once in a while.
Meet the People Behind Your Recovery
Our licensed clinicians and team, many in long-term recovery themselves, are who you will work with at New Wave.
Angela Faccone
Co-Founder & Program Director
Charles Draleau
Executive Director
Melanie Draleau
Co-Founder & Reiki Practitioner
Ryan SmithBratton
Co-Founder & Director of Community Outreach
Danielle Visone
Mental Health Counselor & Clinical Director
Recovery That People Remember
Insurance & payment: Contact our team and we will work with you to verify insurance benefits.
Fill out our form and contact us for additional assistance
Art Therapy FAQs
Want to talk to a real person? Call us, someone in recovery will answer.
What is art therapy?
Art therapy uses creative expression like drawing, painting, and collage to help people explore feelings, process experiences, and reduce stress. No artistic skill is required.
Do I need to be good at art?
Not at all. The focus is entirely on the process and what it helps you express, never on the finished product or any skill level.
How does art therapy help in recovery?
It offers a healthy outlet for the intense emotions of early recovery and a way to process them without substances, while rebuilding identity and a sense of accomplishment.
Can art therapy help with trauma?
Yes. Art therapy is especially powerful for trauma, giving feelings a form when words feel inadequate, and helping people safely externalize difficult experiences.
What happens in an art therapy session?
With a trained facilitator, you create using various media and, if you wish, reflect on what the work brings up. There is no pressure to perform or explain.
Is art therapy part of treatment at New Wave?
Yes. Art therapy is part of our daily holistic programming, woven alongside evidence-based therapy as part of whole-person care.
Keep learning
Helpful, judgment-free articles on recovery, treatment, and supporting the people you love.
In-Network Coverage Varies by Plan. Let's See If Yours Is a Match
We’ll verify your benefits and have an honest conversation about whether our program is the best match for your stage of recovery. And if we’re not the right fit for your journey, we won’t leave you guessing. We’ll help you find the place that is. Because we’ve been where you are, our only goal is getting you to the care that works.
Experience Whole-Person Healing
Art therapy is one of the holistic practices woven through care at New Wave. Call and we will help you begin.
- 100% Confidential
- Free Assessment
- No Commitment
- You'll talk to someone in recovery
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