How
Art Therapy
Helps
With
Grief & Loss
When working in therapy, even in art therapy, outcomes matter. Art therapy is experiential in nature and offers flexibility. We work with experience, and we work with being okay when you’re not okay. There is no right or wrong way. You do not need to be a skilled artist or create a masterpiece to benefit from art therapy. Your work won’t be on display or overanalyzed. There is beauty in the ugly, the imperfect, and the nonsensical. There is also intention and purpose in what we do in art therapy. The dots tend to connect in the process. The subconscious is brought to awareness. When we are aware, we can choose the changes wanted.
The images, marks, smears, stick figures, whatever is at your fingertips and comes from the work of your hands, sustains you.
The important thing in this work is integration. Peace can come from pain. Suffering isn’t forever. Process and progress work collaboratively.
You are creating a new vision from what was taken from you. You have something to hold onto, to memorialize, to pass on, to keep, to remember. You are creating a new reality from what was and what is for another someday.
Art Therapy … is the catalyst for taking a step in trust when facing uncertainty, feeling compassion rather than criticism, and nurturing growth and change without pressure to keep performing in life.
Art Therapy offers many outcomes, but these are some we focus on together:
Making what is intangible become tangible
Empowerment through expression and the process of creating that fosters meaning and purpose
Builds capacity for inner resources; to build back safety and gain new perspectives
Grounds and centers perception, and that it’s safe to be revealed
Source of awareness, wisdom, and knowledge that serves long-term
Offers a rest bit from mental overload and a break from emotional noise
Alleviates stress, encourages responding rather than reacting
Art connects to the heart … and the mind and the body, this is a holistic practice that honors wholeness. You were never broken and do not need to be fixed. You are recreating from a place of despair and hurt to a place of peace and restoration.
Instills hope, there are no guarantees of tomorrow, but you can face tomorrow with grace
We sometimes need a witness to our pain to heal. This is not asking to move on a timeline when you’re processing a natural response to loss. Grieving is a natural response when who and what we love is taken and is not coming back, but is still with us. This is asking to be present with what presents and to make space for that pain to be seen, heard, understood, and given breathing room.
How Grief and Loss May Present
Grief and loss affect children, teens, and adults differently, though many experiences overlap. Grief may show up as anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm, numbness, isolation, guilt, shame, uncertainty, or feeling emotionally lost.
These responses are not personal failures. These are often ways people cope, survive, and move through painful experiences and emotional overwhelm.
Grief can feel difficult to talk about, especially when loss, death, change, or uncertainty have not been openly modeled or discussed. Support does not remove the pain, but it can help make the process feel less isolating and more manageable.
There is no “right” way to grieve. Grief work may involve rebuilding, releasing, adjusting, remembering, sustaining connection, or simply learning how to carry what feels heavy. Even those who appear strong sometimes need space to fall apart, rest, or be supported. Being human is enough.
Below are some common signs grief and emotional distress may show up differently across ages. This is not an exhaustive list, and experiences vary from person to person.
Children
Increased clinginess or need for reassurance
Repetitive questions about events or changes
Big emotional reactions, tantrums, or meltdowns
Aggressive or controlling play themes
Difficulty soothing or regulating emotions
Testing boundaries more at home or school
Teens
Withdrawal, isolation, or emotional shutdown
Irritability, frustration, or anger
Sudden changes in friendships or social dynamics
Identity struggles or questioning sense of self
Avoidance of family, school, or responsibilities
Risk-taking behaviors or difficulty coping with distress
Adults
Difficulty concentrating or “grief brain.”
Emotional exhaustion or feeling emotionally numb
Feeling disconnected, surreal, or overwhelmed
Staying overly busy to avoid emotional pain
Feelings of helplessness, loss of control, or isolation
Physical symptoms such as fatigue, tension, aches, or sudden emotional release
If you or someone you care about is struggling with grief, loss, or emotional overwhelm, support may help. You do not have to carry it alone.
Coffee Connect
Or Tea Too…
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Networking doesn’t have to be something to check off a list.
If you’re an in-person fellow art therapist or a fellow colleague in the field, let’s connect for coffee or tea.
For fellow art therapists who want to meet in-person let’s gather together to make art and meet up!