Art Therapy Example Paintings
by Dr. Michelle Stangline

Learn how you can grow as a mental health professional by adding art therapy to your daily meditation practice. Below are some examples of the artwork from Dr. Michelle Stangline who started painting as a stress reducer and art therapy meditation practice ten years ago.

Through the years my art therapy work has evolved. I paint flowers from gardens and I use my fingers for the most part. It is so freeing to do this!

I also combine my garden therapy with my paintings. Only daily walks in the meadow behind my house with my fur children I collect twigs, leaves, and flowers to use as paint brushes to use in my personal art therapy paintings.

"Beyond the Boundaries of Life"
by Dr. Michelle Stangline

As a graduate student in my counseling program my professor encouraged me to do a daily art therapy journal. Through my personal therapy I was encouraged to try finger painting to take me back to the child within who loved art.

Over the years my art has evolved and I am so thankful that I have had this art therapy experience! Although I am not an art therapist, I have had many continuing education trainings in art therapy and I am a licensed professional counselor. This means that I can use art therapy in counseling.

If you are using any type of drawings, paint, pens, or pencils in your private practice you are using a form of art therapy. Please make sure that you take some art therapy continuing education classes to be able to use these valuable art therapy tools in your practice. 

I have checked with attorneys and board members from my licensed professional counseling agency and I have been told that if you are licensed as a mental health professional and you have additional training you can use art therapy in your practice.

However, you cannot call yourself an art therapist. I get a lot of hate mail from art therapists because I state this on my website. Again, the key is to be a licensed mental health professional with additional training in the area of art therapy.

The same is true for play therapy and sand tray therapy. If you are using toys, or sand tray / sand tray miniatures, please get additional training!

"Enchanted Feeling"
By: Dr. Michelle Stangline

I have always thought that if you are asking your clients to do something, such as art therapy, it is highly recommended that you try it first and foremost on yourself! Of course you need continuing education classes in art therapy before you try this on clients.

The same goes for play therapy, sand tray therapy, etc. Please do not try new therapies on anyone until you have additional continuing education and are a licensed therapist!

Disclaimer: This website and its content is intended for trained licensed mental health professionals and school certified mental health professionals to use for their clients / students at their own discretion.

*If you ignore the disclaimer above are using these techniques on yourself and you feel any discomfort or upset it is highly suggested that you seek out a licensed  mental health professional immediately.

"Beyond Art Therapy" is the concept from Dr. Stangline that combines all creative fields in therapy. It is not the traditional "art therapy" but goes beyond to include sand tray therapy, play therapy, mindfulness, meditation, color therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and a vast majority of other therapies.

For any other type of mental health emergency call your local 911 / Police Number immediately.

Dr. Stangline does not offer advice / suggestions to anyone who is not a professional mental health provider, or a student who is studying this field and has questions about mental health programs of study.