Art Therapy and Creative Ways to Cope With Grief

Can making art actually help with grief?

Yes, for many people it can. The NHS describes grief as a natural response that brings shock, sadness, tiredness, anger and guilt, often in waves that "may not be there all the time" and can "appear unexpectedly." Creative practices will not remove those feelings, but they give you somewhere to put them when words run out. Cruse Bereavement Support, a UK charity dedicated to bereavement, puts it plainly on its own site: using a creative outlet such as writing or making something can help you process, understand and unlock grief that might otherwise stay hidden. Art therapy builds on the same idea, but with a trained professional guiding the process.

What is art therapy, exactly?

The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) defines art therapy as a profession that "enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship." In practical terms, a registered art therapist uses drawing, painting, collage or sculpture as a second language alongside talking, inside a confidential, professional relationship. It is not an art class, and it does not require any drawing skill. If you want the broader distinction between the two, our guide on Art Therapy or Art Class? Understanding the Difference sets it out in detail.

Why would someone choose art-making over talking alone?

Grief does not always arrive as neat sentences. Cruse notes that grief is "almost by definition, a creative endeavour": everything we make that acknowledges a loss is something new, something that could not have existed before that death. For some people, a drawing, a collage of photographs or a short piece of writing can hold a feeling that is still too raw, too contradictory or too physical to say out loud. A 2019 qualitative study published in Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association examined how art therapists themselves experience working with bereaved clients, underlining that this is a recognised, studied area of practice rather than an informal add-on.

What might an art therapy session for grief actually involve?

Sessions vary by therapist and by client, but they generally follow the same shape as any art therapy session: a private space, simple materials already laid out, and a therapist who asks open questions rather than offering interpretations. You might be invited to make a memory piece about the person who died, to externalise a specific feeling such as anger or guilt, or simply to make marks while talking about your week. For a full walk-through of what a first appointment typically looks like, see What to Expect in an Art Therapy Session.

Do I need a diagnosis or a referral to try this?

No. Grief itself is not an illness, and the NHS is clear that most people do not need professional treatment to grieve. However, it also sets out clear signals for when to see a GP or seek support: if you are "struggling to cope with stress, anxiety or a low mood," if a low mood has lasted "more than 2 weeks," or if grief "lasts many months or years" in a way that stops you functioning, which may point to prolonged grief disorder. In England, adults can self-refer to NHS talking therapies without a GP referral. If any of that sounds familiar, it is worth looking for a registered art therapist alongside, or instead of, self-help. Our article on Questions to Ask a Potential Art Therapist can help you vet someone before your first session.

What can I try on my own, safely, between sessions or before seeking help?

• Make a simple memory piece. Collect two or three photographs, a ticket stub or a handwritten note, and arrange them on a single page. You are not making art for display, only making something that holds a memory.
• Write first, draw second. Cruse's suggestion to write a letter to the person who died, or simply write how you feel, can loosen up material that is easier to draw once it has a rough shape in words.
• Keep it short and repeatable. A five or ten minute session, a few times a week, is more sustainable than one long attempt. Our piece on Starting a Five Minute Daily Creative Practice has a simple structure you can borrow.
• Notice if it helps or hurts. If a particular image or memory becomes overwhelming rather than easing, stop and reach out to a GP, a bereavement helpline, or a registered therapist rather than pushing through alone.

When should grief-related art-making involve a professional instead of self-help?

Seek a GP, talking therapies service, or registered art therapist if low mood or distress has lasted more than two weeks without easing, if grief is interfering with work, relationships or basic daily tasks many months after the loss, or if you notice thoughts of harming yourself. The NHS explicitly advises against using alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve grief, and recommends talking with trusted people, peer support, regular movement and steady eating habits alongside any creative practice. Self-help creative tools, including everything described here, are a complement to professional bereavement support, not a replacement for it.

A final note

Grief has no fixed timetable and no single right way through it. Whether that means a weekly session with a registered art therapist, a private sketchbook kept by your bed, or simply writing one unsent letter, the common thread the NHS, Cruse and the art therapy research all point to is the same: expressing what you feel, in whatever form fits you, tends to help more than holding it in silence. If your grief feels stuck, heavy or unsafe, please speak to a GP or a bereavement service in your area before relying on self-help alone.