The use of art therapy in the treatment of SUDs dates back to the 1950s (Moore, 1983).The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) specifically acknowledges the role that art therapy can play in managing addictions (American Art Therapy Association, 2014).Main assumptions underlying art therapy are that the patient will be able to express him/herself through a non-verbal, imaginative, and creative exercise. Art therapy includes an array of activities, including incident drawings (i.e., a drawing of an incident that occurred while using substances), drawing/painting emotions, stress painting (i.e., painting during times of anxiety and/or stress in order to relieve feelings of stress), creating an art journal, and creating sculptures. The majority of art therapy techniques for patients with SUDs employ a creative process, whereby the patient is creating art, but some select applications include interpretation and contemplation of established works of art (Feen-Calligan et al., 2008).

Extant research on the benefits of art therapy is widely documented, although the research designs limit conclusive generalization. These findings suggest several benefits for SUD patients, such as decreasing denial (Cox & Price, 1990), reducing opposition to alcoholism treatment (Allen, 1985), providing an outlet for communication (Harms, 1973; Moore, 1983), and lessening shame (Johnson, 1990). Viewing, discussing, and interpreting existing art can help in group discussions (Dewdney & Dewdney, 1970), and can motivate patients to change (Holt & Kaiser, 2009) by moving them away from reflection and into a state of action (Matto, Corcoran, & Fassler, 2003).