10 Best Art Therapy Books

Art therapy as a discipline began in the 1940s and became more widespread in the 1970s. The underlying idea behind the different branches that sprung from the discipline is that certain mental health issues and distresses can be eased with the practice of artistic endeavors where the patient might be able to express certain unspoken and deeply ingrained problems that are difficult to conceptualize or express otherwise.

Lacan believed that James Joyce (considered one of the most significant writers of the 20th-century by many) didn’t need therapy because he wrote his “Ulysses”. Lacan wrote: “Joyce was the craftsman of himself, of his name, which allowed him not to be clinically psychotic.”

So, let’s dive into the world of art therapy with these instructive books. Use art as a powerful tool for self-discovery and healing. You might find yourself writing your own Odyssey, one day! Just make sure you don't get bamboozled by sirens in the process!

Handbook of Art Therapy by Cathy A. Malchiodi

Providing a complete overview of art therapy, from theory and research to practical applications, this is the definitive handbook in the field. Inside it, leading practitioners demonstrate the nuts and bolts of arts-based intervention with children, adults, families, couples, and groups dealing with a wide range of clinical issues. Now, that’s versatility! Additionally, the volume features 110 sample drawings and other artwork by patients.

Cathy Malchiodi, holds a doctorate in psychology and is an expressive arts therapist specializing in the treatment of traumatic stress.

Neurobiology has taught us that we need to “come to our senses” in developing effective components for addressing trauma...Expressive arts therapy releases the potential of the senses to “tell the story” of traumatic experiences via nonverbal, implicit forms of communication.

- Cathy Malchiodi

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

For anyone that has gone through an education in “The Arts” Julia Cameron will sound familiar, since in the “institution” you ought to have at least one teacher that recommends this book to their class in a seemingly confidential tone. And this is just a little sample of her success and overall impact in the art world, because Cameron has been an active artist for four decades and she is the author of more than forty books, fiction and nonfiction, making her a novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet. She divides her time between Manhattan and the high desert of New Mexico. Now, that is “true” versatility!


This is how she describes her methods and aims within art therapy:

I think it is important for people to own their own spiri­tual practice. My toolkit is simple, and it invites practitioners to embrace simplicity. A recent review of my latest book noted that the tools were “simple and repetitive.” I think of this as a good thing. The tools do not change book to book. The same simple tools that worked in The Artist’s Way work still, a dozen books later.

- Julia Cameron

Art Therapy Sourcebook by Cathy A. Malchiodi

We already know Malchiadi, and you could be thinking this might be more of the same stuff… But, let’s give it a chance nonetheless:

In this Sourcebook you will find tools to use art therapy to guide yourself and others on a special path of personal growth, insight, and transformation. Not unlike last time, Cathy gives you comprehensive step-by-step instructions for stimulating creativity and interpreting the resulting art pieces.

The author claims that the Sourcebook will help you overcome hurdles such as: Finding relief from overwhelming emotions, recovering from traumatic losses, reducing your stress levels, discovering insights about yourself and experiencing personal growth.

Now, the Handbook and the Sourcebook are good and all, but I'm wondering: where is the Handbook for the Sourcebook? Or the Sourcebook of the Handbook for the Sourcebook, Cathy? We need those, too!

(Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my marbles yet, this is just me practicing my own kind of art therapy!)

Art is a way of knowing by Pat B. Allen

Pat B Allen is an artist, writer, art therapist and teacher, interested in the breaking the borders between art, psychology, spirituality and social action.

Allen believes that making art is a form of spiritual practice through which knowledge of ourselves can ripen into wisdom. This book offers encouragement for anyone interested in the process of self-discovery through art-making. The book also includes practical instructions on material, methods, and activities, that will come in handy.

Her biography states:

Pat became adept at traveling into the space where all images reside, what C.G. Jung calls the collective unconscious. Eventually art making became her preferred path back and forth between the spiritual and material worlds.

I hope the travels weren’t too exhausting, “all images” sounds like just one, too many images…!

Art Heals: How Creativity Cures the Soul by Shaun McNiff

Inside the pages of this book you will find a main figure in expressive arts therapy, that has been active for more than three decades, reflecting on a wide spectrum of activities aimed at reviving art’s traditional healing function. In chapters ranging from “Liberating Creativity” and “The Practice of Creativity in the Workplace” to “From Shamanism to Art Therapy” he illuminates some of the most progressive views in the rapidly expanding field of art therapy.

Shaun McNiff is an author and exhibiting painter who has had a truly seminal influence on the areas of creativity enhancement, the arts and healing, and art-based research, he has lectured and taught throughout the world. McNiff has received various honors and awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Journal of Applied Arts and Health and the Honorary Life Member Award of the American Art Therapy Association. And as we all know, the longer the prize’s name the more valuable the prize is!

Essential Art Therapy Exercises by Leah Guzman

The purposeful act of making art can be more than a creative outlet. It can also help individuals gain self-awareness, process difficult thoughts, and even ease the effects of past traumas. Essential Art Therapy Exercises, a cognitive behavioral therapy workbook, offers a range of creative activities to help you better understand yourself, develop control over your emotions, and aid the healing process.

This workbook is full of activities. It actually includes 75 strategic art therapy activities offering new opportunities for self-expression. In case 74 weren't enough! Luckily for us, each of those exercises include an explanation of its purpose and potential outcomes. Additionally you will learn the basics of different artistic techniques and mediums, like drawing, painting, and sculpting, requiring no previous art experience.

Let's let Leah present herself:

“I’m passionate about making art, helping individuals use the tools of creativity to connect mind, body and soul in the process of healing and manifesting.

As an artist and online art therapist, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the practice of artistic expression is capable of changing lives, and I’d love to show you how”

- Leah Guzman

Soul Therapy by Thomas Moore

Soul Therapy is the culmination of Thomas Moore’s work. In his previous acclaimed books, he explored some of the important areas of our lives—work, sex, marriage, family, religion, and aging. In this wise guide, he now returns to his core vocation: teaching practitioners—therapists, psychiatrists, ministers, and others—how to offer therapeutic care to those they assist. Ministers still need their oracles today, there is no doubt about that!

Thomas Moore is a psychotherapist, writer and former priest (in a Catholic religious order for twelve years), that specializes in archetypal and Jungian psychology, mythology and art. Author of more than fifteen titles on spiritual growth, including The Dark Nights of the Soul, The Relationships of the Soul and A Work with a Soul. We’ve got a “soulful” author in our hands!

In his group therapy sessions he declares (half-jokingly): “I’m an evangelist of art!”

Craft in Art Therapy by Lauren Leon

To put it simply, this book is dedicated to illustrating the incorporation of craft materials and methods into art therapy theory and practice.

Lauren is a renowned mental health counselor and art therapist and she doesn’t shy away from collaboration. Contributing authors provide examples of how they have used a range of crafts including pottery, glass work, textiles, paper, leatherwork, and Indian crafts like mendhi (a popular form of body art among Indian women) and kolam/rangoli (a form of traditional Indian decorative art that is thought to bring prosperity to homes) in community art therapy practice.

Approaches to Art Therapy by Judith Aron Rubin

Already celebrating it's third edition, Approaches to Art Therapy brings together varied theoretical approaches and provides a variety of solutions to the challenge of translating theory to technique.

In each chapter, the field's most eminent scholars provide a definition of and orientation for the specific theory or area of emphasis, showing its relevance to art therapy. The topics that this book goes over range from contemplative approaches, DBT, neuroscience, and mentalization (In psychology, mentalization is the ability to understand the mental state that underlies overt behaviour).

Judith also includes case examples and over 100 illustrations of patient artwork that vividly demonstrate the techniques in practice.

The Soul’s Palette by Cathy Malchiodi

Malchiodi, again…!? Well, yes! She is in the top of the art therapy food chain. So, buckle up, because here’s even more jargon about her work!

Making art, according to Cathy Malchiodi, may be as important to your physical and spiritual health as balanced nutrition, regular exercise, or meditation. Expressing yourself creatively—through drawing, painting, sculpture, photography—allows you to tap into a source of inner wisdom that provides guidance, soothes emotional pain, and revitalizes your being. But what differentiates this volume from the others?

The Soul's Palette reveals art's transformative powers. Exercises include working with materials for drawing, painting, sculpting, and collage; simple drawing and journal projects; self-guided meditations and affirmations; ideas for cultivating intuition, inspiration, and spontaneity; exploring personal symbols; and making art a spiritual practice. So, the answer is: Not much...! I'm only kidding though... I hope you can forgive me, Cathy!

And if you feel that your mental health has declined as a result of reading this very long article, these links will surely fuel it back up:


- A Daily Mindful Practice Course A course by Kate Sutton
- What is art therapy?
- Mental Health on Instagram