Addiction can have a devastating impact on a person's health, relationships, and overall wellbeing. It is often rooted in trauma, as a coping mechanism, and can put substance users in unsafe situations that cause further mental and physical harm.
This book explores how art therapy is a safe, effective modality for supporting people who struggle with addiction. It discusses neurological mechanisms and their relation to emotional regulation, the reward system, and cognition, and demonstrates the way art therapy can help clients make real progress towards recovery. It also demonstrates how art therapy reconstitutes areas of the brain to restore relational well-being, as well as emotional and cognitive functions impacted by substance use disorders.
Essential reading for care professionals supporting clients with addictions and in recovery, this guide demonstrates not only how to use art therapy techniques but reveals the neuroscience of why they work.
