Addiction can have a devastating impact on a person''s health, relationships, and overall wellbeing. It is often rooted in trauma, as a coping mechanism, and can put substance users in unsafe situations that cause further mental and physical harm.

This book explores how art therapy is a safe, effective modality for supporting people who struggle with addiction. It discusses neurological mechanisms and their relation to emotional regulation, the reward system, and cognition, and demonstrates the way art therapy can help clients make real progress towards recovery. It also demonstrateshowart therapyreconstitutes areas of the brain to restore relational well-being, as wellas emotional and cognitive functionsimpactedby substance usedisorders.

Essential reading for care professionals supporting clients with addictions and in recovery, this guide demonstrates not only how to use art therapy techniques but reveals the neuroscience of why they work.Long-term recovery from substance disorders can be elusive, as each individual may have complex needs that can be hard to uncover and address.

This book shows how art therapy may reduce treatment episodes and expedite recovery by identifying comorbid disorders and engaging clients with treatment-resistant conditions like trauma, learning disabilities and brain injuries. It also demonstrates how art therapy reconstitutes areas of the brain to restore resilience and relational wellbeing.

Example art therapy exercises offer ways to increase self-esteem, clarify and regulate emotions, and improve cognition and decision-making, as the transition to recovery is achieved.