As a regulated mental health profession,<unk>  is employed in many clinical and other settings with diverse populations. It is increasingly recognized as a valid form of<unk> .<unk>  can also be found in non-clinical settings, as well as in<unk>  studios and in creativity development workshops. Licensing for<unk> sts can vary from state to state with some recognizing<unk>  as a separate license and some licensing under a related field such a professional counseling or mental health counseling.<unk> sts must have a master's degree that includes training in the creative process, psychological development, and group<unk> , and they must complete a clinical internship.<unk> sts may also pursue additional credentialing through the<unk>  Credentials Board.<unk> sts work with populations of all ages and with a wide variety of disorders and diseases.<unk> sts provide services to children, adolescents, and adults, whether as individuals, couples, families, or groups. Using their evaluative and psychotherapy skills,<unk> sts choose materials and interventions appropriate to their clients' needs and design sessions to achieve<unk> utic goals and objectives. They use the creative process to help their clients increase insight, cope with stress, work through traumatic experiences, increase cognitive, memory and neurosensory abilities, improve interpersonal relationships and achieve greater self-fulfillment. The activities an<unk> st chooses to do with clients depend on a variety of factors such as their mental state or age.<unk> sts may draw upon images from resources such as the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism to incorporate historical<unk>  and symbols into their work with patients. Depending on the state, province, or country, the term "art<unk> st" may be reserved for those who are professionals trained in both<unk>  and<unk>  and hold a master or doctoral degree in<unk>  or certification in<unk>  obtained after a graduate degree in a related field. Other professionals, such as mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and play<unk> sts, optionally combine<unk> -making with basic psychotherapeutic modalities in their treatment.<unk> sts may better understand a client's absorption of information after assessing elements of their<unk> work. A systemic literature review compiled and evaluated different research studies, some of which are listed below. Overall, this survey publication revealed that both the high level of variability (such as incorporating talk<unk>  and limited number of studies done with certified<unk> sts made it difficult to generalize over findings. Despite these limitations,<unk>  has, to an extent, proved its efficacy in relieving symptoms and improving quality of life. General illness<unk> -making is a common activity used by many people to cope with illness.<unk>  and the creative process can alleviate many illnesses (cancer, heart disease, influenza, etc.). This form of<unk>  helps benefit those who suffer from mental illnesses as well (chronic depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, etc.). It is difficult to measure the efficacy of<unk>  as it treats various mental illnesses to different degrees; although, people can escape the emotional effects of various illness through<unk>  making and many creative methods. Sometimes people cannot express the way they feel, as it can be difficult to put into words, and<unk>  can help people express their experiences. "During<unk> , people can explore past, present and future experiences using<unk>  as a form of coping".<unk>  can be a refuge for the intense emotions associated with illness; there are no limits to the imagination in finding creative ways to express emotions. Hospitals have started studying the influence of<unk> s on patient care and found that participants in<unk>  programs have better vitals and less difficulty sleeping.<unk> istic influence does not need to be participation in a program, but studies have found that a landscape picture in a hospital room had reduced need for narcotic pain killers and less time in recovery at the hospital. In addition, either looking at or creating<unk>  in hospitals helped stabilize vital signs, speed up the healing process, and in general, bring a sense of hope and soul to the patient. Family, care workers, doctors and nurses are also positively affected. Using<unk> , it can also be a good way for those with general illnesses to express their feelings and emotions through<unk> , when it may or may not be difficult to explain their feelings through words.<unk>  helps give security to emotions to those if they are not comfortable sharing their emotions to others, but can trust a canvas or sheet of paper to hold onto those emotions. Subjective cancer symptoms Many studies have been conducted on the benefits of<unk>  on cancer patients.<unk>  has been found useful for supporting patients during the stress of such things as chemotherapy treatment.<unk> sts have conducted studies to understand why some cancer patients turn to<unk>  making as a coping mechanism and a tool to creating a positive identity outside of being a cancer patient. Women in the study participated in different<unk>  programs ranging from pottery and card making to drawing and painting. The programs helped them regain an identity outside of having cancer, lessened emotional pain from their ongoing fight with cancer, and also gave them hope for the future. In a study involving women facing cancer-related difficulties such as fear, pain, altered social relationships, it was found that: Engaging in different types of visual<unk>  (textiles, card making, collage, pottery, watercolor, acrylics) helped these women in 4 major ways. First, it helped them focus on positive life experiences, relieving their ongoing preoccupation with cancer. Second, it enhanced their self-worth and identity by providing them with opportunities to demonstrate continuity, challenge, and achievement. Third, it enabled them to maintain a social identity that resisted being defined by cancer. Finally, it allowed them to express their feelings in a symbolic manner, especially during chemotherapy.Another study showed those who participated in these types of activities were discharged earlier than those who did not participate. Furthermore, another study revealed the healing effects of<unk>  on female breast cancer patients. Studies revealed that relatively short-term<unk>  interventions significantly improved patients’ emotional states and perceived symptoms. Studies have also shown how the emotional distress of cancer patients has been reduced when utilizing the creative process. The women made drawings of themselves throughout the treatment process while also doing yoga and meditating; these actions combined helped to alleviate some symptoms. Another study, with 111 participants, looked at the efficacy of mindfulness-based<unk> , combining meditation with<unk> . The study used measurements such as quality of life, physical symptoms, depression, and anxiety to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. This yielded positive results that there was a significant decrease in distress and significant improvement in quality of life. A review of 12 studies investigating the use of<unk>  in cancer patients by Wood, Molassiotis, and Payne (2010) investigated the symptoms of emotional, social, physical, and global functioning, and spiritual concerns of cancer patients. They found that<unk>  can improve the process of psychological readjustment to the change, loss, and uncertainty associated with surviving cancer. It was also suggested that<unk>  can provide a sense of "meaning-making" through the physical act of creating the<unk> . When given five individual sessions of<unk>  once per week,<unk>  was shown to be useful for personal empowerment by helping the cancer patients understand their own boundaries in relation to the needs of other people. In turn, those who had<unk>  treatment felt more connected to others and found social interaction more enjoyable than individuals who did not receive<unk>  treatment. Furthermore,<unk>  improved motivation levels, ability to discuss emotional and physical health, general well-being, and increased global quality of life in cancer patients. In sum, relatively short-term intervention of<unk>  that is individualized to patients has the potential to significantly improve emotional state and quality of life, while reducing perceived symptoms relating to the cancer diagnosis. Disaster relief<unk>  has been used in a variety of traumatic experiences, including disaster relief and crisis intervention.<unk> sts have worked with children, adolescents and adults after natural and manmade disasters, encouraging them to make<unk>  in response to their experiences. Some suggested strategies for working with victims of disaster include: assessing for distress or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), normalizing feelings, modeling coping skills, promoting relaxation skills, establishing a social support network, and increasing a sense of security and stability. Dementia<unk>  has been proven to help patients suffering with dementia of all backgrounds. It is important that the<unk>  tools are easy to use and relatively simple to understand, since mobility can also be a problem. While<unk>  helps with behavioral issues, it does not appear to affect worsening mental abilities. Tentative evidence supports benefits with respect to quality of life.<unk>  had no clear results on affecting memory or emotional well-being scales. However, Alzheimer's Association states that<unk>  and music can enrich people's lives and allow for self expression. Autism<unk>  is
Art therapy
Reality therapy
Mirror therapy
Sex therapy
Metaphor therapy
Paramedicine
Photomedicine
Psychagogy