Self Healing "Beyond Art Therapy" Counseling Techniques to Help You Become a Happier Person and a Better Artist!

Below is an example of a coloring digital illustration I created from a bridal bouquet as part of my daily self healing "Beyond Art Therapy" counseling meditation. I love to use the computer program "Paint" as it is simple and so much fun!

The "it" product out right now is the expensive adult art therapy coloring books. I think these adult coloring books are an amazing idea, but coloring has been around for a long time. However, these books allow the adult to "think it is okay to color" and opens up the valuable self "Beyond Art Therapy" counseling technique to many adults. 

Everyone of us started out in this world as an artist. We were all born this way and came out of the womb seeking to explore the artist inside of us. However, for many of us (myself included) we lost the "Inner Artist" within ourselves somewhere along the way.

For me, I lost my inner artist when I was in college studying art. I had some art teachers that critiqued me to death. They did not see my potential as an artist (I call myself a butterfinger artist) because I did not fit into their perspective of what an artist should be. I stopped doing art for a very long time and dropped my art major. I also completely stopped doing my art which was not good for my inner child and my creative self. 

Fast forward years later when I was working as a school counselor at a horrible school with a monsterous principal and assistant principal in an elementary school Lawrenceville, Georgia. These two women had the entire school staff terrorized. The teachers were so stressed out and living in fear due to the treatment they received from these women principals who were big bullies!

I knew I had to do something to get myself and these poor teachers through this terrible time. I went back to my inner child and started to color before it was cool to color as an adult. I spent five to ten minutes a day coloring with crayons and thus began my "Beyond Art Therapy" practice.

As I moved the crayon around a piece of copy paper and sometimes just scribbled I began to relax. It was truly a form of meditation and self healing Beyond Art Therapy". The teachers started to try my "Beyond Art Therapy" techniques.  

We all got through that year and the cruel principal finally retired. Looking back, I can see how this self healing "Beyond Art Therapy" counseling technique taught me so much about myself as an artist, and helped me get through a very difficult year.

Recently, a subscriber of my website, who is a counselor in a third world country, asked me to offer her some "Beyond Art Therapy" techniques to give her clients as homework. I suggested that she suggest the simple art of coloring to her clients. She used this idea and has reported many benefits from this self healing "Beyond Art Therapy" counseling technique.

Try this self healing "Beyond Art Therapy" counseling technique for yourself. You don't need a fancy adult coloring book. Just gather up some crayons and copy paper. If you are feeling adventurous then get some fancy markers, or colored pencils.

See More Self Healing "Beyond Art Therapy" Counseling Techniques Here:

Self Healing "Beyond Art Therapy" Counseling Technique Color Scribble

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.

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

See our Exciting Selection of eBooks:

Award Winning:

Creative Counseling 101 eBook 
Our Best Seller!

Step By Step Therapy:

Learn how to be a more Creative Therapist with the Book that started it all!

- Graduate School Counseling book used by hundreds of graduate counseling students!

- Includes full color reproducible worksheets with most activities.

- Winner of the Counselor Writer of the Year Award, 2011, Georgia Regional Award

Download Your Copy Today Only $39.95: 

See Creative Counseling 101 eBook Information Here:

Get the Set
of all four  

eBooks for only $98.95:
An incredible collection of how to do therapy eBooks!
A $159.80 Value,
You Save Over $60!

Get your complete set of the Creative Counseling 101.com eBooks by Dr. Michelle Stangline for only $98.95, that's less than $25.00 per eBook (Regular Price is $39.95 for each eBook.).

Your complete set includes:

- Creative Counseling 101

- Creative Group Counseling 101

- Creative Play Therapy 101

- Creative Sand Tray 101

For more information click the link below:

See Complete Set of eBooks For Sale Here:

New!!! "Beyond Art Therapy" 101 eBook

Over 300 pages of Beyond Art Therapy activities and techniques. Learn what I teach graduate counseling students!

See the link below for more information.

Only $39.95

Art Therapy 101 eBook for Sale Link

See More Invividual eBooks For Sale:

Sand Tray Therapy 101 eBook:

Learn how to do Sand Tray Therapy or enhance your skills.

Sand Tray Therapy eBook for Sale Link

Play Therapy 101 eBook

Learn how to do play therapy or enhance your skills.

Play Therapy eBook For Sale Link

Small Group Counseling eBook For Sale:

Learn how to do creative group therapy and enhance your skills.

Creative Group Therapy eBook For Sale Link

School Counselor Guidance Lesson & Social Stories eBook for sale:

Get a year's worth of school counselor guidance lessons with "Creative Warm & Fuzzy Classroom Guidance Lessons eBook". Introduce your students to the "Warm & Fuzzy Way". Click the link below for more information:

Warm & Fuzzy School Counselor Guidance Lessons eBook