Thanks, all.
@DarkScribe, yes, sometimes someone makes unhappy paintings, they scare or startle the maker, who brings them to someone else to help figure out the message.
Thanks @Clair for giving the Wikipedia link. I find it strangely difficult to describe this work because I’m so used to it.
I did find, in my long years of practicing this craft, that many people left off the
“art” part of the therapy after awhile in favor of language. This can be a sign of returning strength. As a bunch of you said – some people, and many people at some times, can’t verbalize. Once they can verbalize, art therapy becomes “regular” therapy.
There are primary art therapists (like me) and supportive art therapists (in larger institutions, where patients have “real” therapists to talk with). In hospitals the art therapists are usually supposed to be nice but not challenging. @casheroo: yes! soothing! But that is not the limit to the capability of the process.