Color Me Cautious: Don't Mistake Adult Coloring Books for Art Therapy

As a second-year graduate student in the GW Art Therapy Program, Lida Sunderland learned how to use materials like clay and colored pencils to help clients work through their emotional pain. She’s employed art therapy interventions such as mask-making-as-metaphor to reveal a person’s inner struggle and Jungian mandalas, circular designs that promote focus and reflection.

But there’s one tool she’s never used, whether in internships, clinical settings or classrooms: adult coloring books.

This is an excerpt from an article written by Columbian College of Arts & Sciences writer, John Diconsiglio. Click here to continue reading the full story.