Art Therapy Is Proven To Work, But Virtual Care Raises Questions. How a Charlie Health Clinician Bridges the Gap for High-Acuity Clients.

Written By: Ashley Laderer

For Christina, art has always been therapy. Now, as an art therapist with Charlie Health, she’s sharing the therapeutic power of art with people across the country.

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Christina was an anxious child. She recalls growing up in a chaotic home atmosphere with a family that didn’t understand the benefits of therapy. It was an environment where she couldn’t make sense of her inner world — let alone cope with her feelings. 

The only time she remembers her mind shutting off is while sewing with her grandmother. “I just remember finding joy and just peace,” Christina said, recalling how she and her grandmother would spend time sewing while her mom was at work. 

This set her on a path to a childhood full of crafting and art — a respite from the chaos of her home and the responsibility of caring for her siblings. “When I was creating, I was not thinking about anything,” she said. “[Art] was where I could process, where I could soothe myself, ground myself. If things were painful, I could put it in art.”

Christina recognized the therapeutic potential of art long before she understood its clinical credibility. Art therapy has been consistently shown to help people improve their mental health and express themselves more freely, just as sewing and crafting helped Christina feel calm and process painful experiences. 

Later in life, after working in a school and noticing the lack of mental healthcare for students, Christina herself became an art therapist, a role she currently holds at Charlie Health. She says it doesn’t just make sense — it feels meant to be.

The power of art therapy for high-acuity clients

Art can have a powerful impact on mental health. A growing body of research shows that using artistic practices as a part of therapeutic treatment helps people express themselves in ways that language alone cannot, leading to reduced mental health symptoms. 

This is part of why art therapy is so useful for high-acuity clients with more severe mental health conditions, Christina says. These are often people struggling deeply with self-harm, suicidal ideation, or severe depression, for whom language might feel inaccessible or overwhelming. 

“Higher acuity clients might feel scared or afraid to voice what they’re feeling and what they’ve been through,” Christina said. She went on to explain that with the guidance of an art therapist, people can express how they’re feeling without words.

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In addition to helping people express how they’re feeling, art therapy can also help externalize emotions. Christina has seen, time and time again, how making feelings visual and putting them on paper helps clients feel their emotions don’t define them. “[People realize] I’m not this feeling, and I can observe it from the outside,” she said.

Sometimes, art therapy can even bring up things the client didn’t even know were there. “There are often times in session where the art can tell us more than the client,” Christina said. I've had many times where we do our therapy and the clients like, ‘Wow, you know, I didn't realize this is what I was feeling, but seeing it, I can understand it differently.’”

How art therapy works in a virtual setting

Christina first worked as an art therapist for an agency contracted by the Department of Mental Health in Los Angeles. The job was emotionally demanding, and left her commuting across the city, sometimes finding herself in scenarios that didn’t feel safe. She was burnt out and unsure of what to do next when a recruiter from Charlie Health reached out.

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The recruiter explained that Charlie Health takes an innovative approach to treating high-acuity clients, incorporating expressive modalities such as art therapy into its core offerings. And, since treatment is virtual, the program brings this holistic healing to those who may not otherwise have access. Christina immediately connected with the company and its mission. 

Still, at first, it was tough to imagine working as an art therapist in a fully virtual environment. This quickly became a lesson in creativity in and of itself. Instead of bringing materials to the session, Christina uses the materials her clients have available — everything from a pen and paper to junk mail and leaves. Using supplies from home can give the art an even greater sense of authenticity, she says.

Being an art therapist at Charlie Health

Beyond the clinical impact, Charlie Health has redefined Christina’s own professional experience. Within the organization, she has found a level of collaboration and support that rivals previous in-person teams. “I feel like I know my coworkers, even though we've not met in person,” she says.

Christina has also reclaimed hours of her time by trading hours of commuting across Los Angeles for a virtual office. She’s been able to spend more time with her children, and now her first grandchild, and no longer feels burnt out doing the career she loves. 

Above all, this work is a full-circle moment for Christina. As a professional in the space, she now realizes that art was her own form of therapy when she was younger, and she’s grateful to give people that same gift: the opportunity to process their pain and transform it into art.

Of course, Christina still finds comfort in her own creative practices, these days using acrylics and pastels. Sometimes, she’ll tilt her screen down and work on the same exercise alongside her client, so they can both express themselves. “At the end of the day, we're just human beings together,” she says.