Opinion: The remarkable rise of art therapy for San Diego health

Recently the Prebys Foundation launched an initiative called  “Healing Through the Arts and Nature,” awarding $5.2 million in grants to 59 nonprofits across San Diego.

At the same time, an initiative called Art Pharmacy, a referral and partnering service, just opened in our region. 

Art Pharmacy is working with partners in California, including a pilot for San Diego and the Imperial Valley,  to “connect people to arts and culture engagements in their communities to support their health and well-being.”

Why the increasing interest in art as therapy? Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego put it this way:

“Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses art-making and creativity to increase emotional well-being. Art therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved in making art is healing and life-enhancing.”

The innovative painter Vincent van Gogh famously severed part of his ear after a confrontation with his friend, fellow painter Paul Gauguin. In 1889, amid deepening mental illness, he voluntarily checked himself into the Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France.

What is less known is that during his one-year stay, Van Gogh experienced what is now considered the most extraordinarily productive period of his artistic life. In just 70 days, he created more than 75 paintings and over 100 sketches and drawings depicting the surrounding countryside, the village and the natural beauty of Provence — fields of golden wheat, cypress trees, olive groves and the brilliant skies of southern France.

Though the term didn’t exist at the time, Van Gogh’s time in Saint-Rémy could be seen as an early example of art therapy in action. Art therapists have specialized knowledge about the psychological aspects of the creative process, especially the emotional effects of different art materials and techniques.

The medical staff at the asylum, progressive for their time, recognized that painting calmed Van Gogh and allowed him to express his deepest emotions. While they may not have had a name for it, they understood the therapeutic value of creativity.

Van Gogh himself believed in the healing power of art. He often applied paint with his fingers, using a technique known as impasto — layering thick textures directly onto the canvas. The Starry Night, painted during his stay, is perhaps the most famous result of this method and this moment of fragile healing.

The term “art therapy” wasn’t coined until 1942, but by the early 20th century, practitioners began to see that the act of making art — like all art — served as a powerful form of expression, especially for people grappling with anxiety, depression, trauma or mental illness.

Art therapists are credentialed mental health professionals with training in both psychological theory and creative practice. They work with a wide range of materials — paint, clay, collage and even non-traditional elements like twigs, leaves or found objects — to help clients access parts of themselves that are difficult to express verbally. Through this process, clients often uncover nonverbal cues and deep metaphors that lead to growth, self-awareness and healing.

Art therapy is not about skill or talent; it’s about using creative expression as a tool for emotional insight. People from all walks of life — including those who have never considered themselves “artistic” — can benefit.

John Eger is a professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University. He previously served as telecommunications advisor to President Gerald R. Ford, legal assistant to FCC Chairman Dean Burch, and Senior Vice President of CBS Worldwide Enterprises. He also chaired San Diego’s City of the Future Committee.