History of art therapy

Art therapy as a profession began in the mid-20th century.

The British artist Adrian Hill coined the term ‘art therapy’ in 1942. Recovering from tuberculosis in a sanatorium, he discovered the therapeutic benefits of drawing and painting while convalescing and recommended it to his fellow patients. That began his art therapy work, which was documented in 1945 in his book, Art Versus Illness.

Edward Adamson, “the father of art therapy in Britain” joined Adrian Hill after the Second World War to extend Hill’s work to the British mental health sector.