Art Therapy for Children and Teens

What is Art Therapy?

In art therapy, the process of making art matters more than the finished product. For a child who has a hard time putting feelings into words, drawing or building something can be a safer way to show what is going on inside. The therapist helps your child explore what they made and connect it to feelings, relationships, or coping strategies.

Sessions can be individual, family, or group-based and take place in clinics, hospitals, schools, and community programs. Goals might include managing anxiety, processing grief or trauma, building self-esteem, improving emotional regulation, or practicing social skills in a group.

The American Art Therapy Association describes art therapy as a mental health profession that combines active art-making, the creative process, and applied psychological theory within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

Who is it for?

Who provides it?

A credentialed art therapist holds a master's degree or higher in art therapy or a related field. The Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB) grants the ATR (Registered Art Therapist) and ATR-BC (Board Certified) credentials. As of our latest check, Illinois does not issue a separate art therapy license. A 2024 bill to create one was withdrawn after IDFPR took the position that art therapy falls within the scope of clinical professional counseling, so many Illinois art therapists also hold a counseling license (LPC or LCPC). Ask for both the ATCB credential and any state license, and verify the license with IDFPR.

What do families and practitioners report?

Parents often say art therapy gave their child a way to 'talk' about hard things without having to find the words, especially after trauma, loss, or a medical crisis. Children usually enjoy it, which can make therapy feel less intimidating. Art therapists stress that it can suit children who struggle with traditional talk therapy.

Does it work? What the research says

Research is growing but mixed in quality. A 2025 systematic review in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (Versitano and colleagues) of art therapy for young people with acute or severe mental health conditions found 90 papers, 23 of them original research. Randomized trials showed reduced symptoms of PTSD, depression, and suicidal thoughts, with the strongest evidence for PTSD. However, most of the papers were case studies.

For autism, a 2025 systematic review of 12 randomized trials (Wei and colleagues, Healthcare) found promising results for social communication, stress, and other outcomes, but most studies were small, short, and at high risk of bias. The authors called for more rigorous trials before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Is it covered by insurance in Illinois?

Because Illinois has no separate art therapy license, insurance usually covers art therapy only when it is provided by a licensed mental health professional (such as an LCPC or LCSW) and billed as psychotherapy. Illinois Medicaid/All Kids covers medically necessary mental health services for children, and the same rule of billing under a licensed provider generally applies. Schools may provide counseling as a related service under IDEA, which can sometimes include art-based approaches. Hospital-based art therapy programs are often funded by the hospital or donors.

What to consider and ask

• Ask about the therapist's ATCB credential (ATR or ATR-BC) and any Illinois license (such as LCPC).
• Clarify goals, such as coping with anxiety or processing a specific event, and how progress will be reviewed.
• Ask how the therapist will share information with you while respecting your child's privacy, especially for teens.
• Consider whether your child enjoys art or finds talking about feelings hard; both can make art therapy a good fit.
• For trauma, ask whether art therapy will be combined with an established trauma treatment.