Creative Arts Therapy

Creative Arts Therapy is the clinical use of expressive art forms by a credentialed professional to promote optimal functioning of one’s physical and emotional health.

When providing therapeutic opportunities through artistic mediums, participants are able to explore feelings through the safety of a contained experience.  Drama, art and music therapy provide a means of nonverbal expression which then can be viewed, heard or enacted, providing an external representation of internal thoughts and emotions.  Creative arts therapists monitor this process carefully, attending to expressive content as it emerges and frequently containing it within a metaphor.  This process allows individuals to address psychological concerns which they may not be able to express verbally.

Creative Arts Therapy can also be used to address physical needs through its ability to engage multiple senses and integrate neurological processes.  Music therapy is the treatment modality most commonly used to address functional skills outside of the psychological realm such as communication, motor skills and cognition.

ITA's philosophy is based on a holistic treatment model which fosters the integration of mind and body through an integrated arts therapy approach promoting optimal health of the WHOLE person.

Presence in the Community

ITA is currently serving approximately 2,000 individuals at various sites in Cook, DuPage, Lake, and McHenry counties. In addition to three in-house clinic locations, ITA makes an impact through key partnerships with schools, adult day centers, nursing homes, hospitals, a drug rehabilitation center, and a domestic violence shelter.

ITA adheres to the best standards and practices in treatment approaches as determined by national accrediting bodies of creative arts therapists and the scientific literature.  Therapists employ the use of only those approaches which are empirically and/or qualitatively researched. 

ITA therapists provide the creative arts therapies within a continuity of care model.  When possible and appropriate, the therapist will function as a member of a larger care/educational team, which will include communicating progress, challenges and diagnostic impressions with qualified and identified professionals.