What the Art Group Is
It is a creative session inside Sol’s women-only outpatient program in Riverside, running across three levels of care. You make something with the materials that are set out, and there is room afterward to talk about it if you want to. It runs alongside the clinical treatment rather than as a substitute for it.
Art groups are led by our program staff, not a credentialed art therapist; they’re a gentle, creative part of the week. Clinical art therapy is a separate registered discipline, so we call ours an art group.
What Actually Happens
You make something. Paint, pencil, collage, clay, whatever is set out. There is usually a prompt and you are free to ignore it.
What follows is the part that makes it more than a craft hour: what you made becomes something to look at together, and to talk about if you want to. Often a woman sees something in her own work that she had not been able to put into a sentence.
For women carrying trauma, that can matter. When words are hard to find, a page of color does not ask you to narrate anything.
The staff member leading the group is there to hold a warm, safe space, not to interpret your work. Nothing you make is read as a diagnosis.
About the Research on Art Therapy
There is a credentialed discipline called art therapy, practiced by people trained and registered in it. Our art group is led by program staff, so the research below is about that credentialed discipline rather than about our group.
For the credentialed discipline, research is still developing. The VA and Department of Defense clinical practice guideline for PTSD places creative arts therapies, including art, in its “Neither for nor against” category, on insufficient evidence, alongside yoga, acupuncture and relaxation training.2 A clinical reference review describes the amount of quality evidence as sparse, with wide variation between studies yielding low-quality evidence.1 A Cochrane review of art therapy in serious mental illness concluded that its benefits or harms remain unclear.4
None of that says art therapy fails. It means the research that would settle the question has not yet been done.
Why Art Is Part of the Week
There are a few gentle reasons.
Creative practices like this are generally well tolerated, and the VA notes that complementary practices may be offered to people who prefer them.3
Many women enjoy it. Having an hour in the week that feels creative and restful can make the rest of the week feel more manageable.
It can offer a way into feelings that are hard to put into words. It is something our team observes rather than a research finding.
The art group sits alongside your clinical care, which includes CBT, EMDR where trauma is central, the group program, DBT skills and acceptance and commitment therapy groups.
Starting Treatment
1
Call or Send Your Insurance Details
Admissions answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2
Assessment
A clinician works out what is being treated and which level of care fits.
3
Verify Your Insurance
We contact your plan and walk you through your benefits.
4
Start Date
Set around what your week can hold.
You do not need to be able to draw. Nothing is graded, nothing is displayed without your say so, and nobody is looking at technique.
In crisis right now? Call or text 988.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our admissions line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (951) 972-5085.
Is This Art Therapy, and Who Runs It?
It is an art group. Art groups are led by our program staff, not a credentialed art therapist; they’re a gentle, creative part of the week.
Does the Art Group Treat Anything?
We make no treatment claims for it. It is one gentle session in the week, alongside your clinical care. Even for credentialed art therapy, which is not what runs here, the VA and Department of Defense guideline places creative arts therapies in its “Neither for nor against” category on insufficient evidence, and a Cochrane review concluded that benefits or harms remain unclear.
Do I Need to Be Able to Draw?
No. Nothing is assessed, nothing is graded, and technique is not what anyone is looking at. Many women worry about this at first, and it is never a problem here.
Will I Have to Explain What I Made?
Only if you want to. Often a woman sees something in her own work before she can say it, and the talking is optional and unhurried.
Is the Art Group a Treatment for Trauma?
No. For trauma, the approach here with the strongest guideline backing is EMDR. The art group sits gently alongside that as a way into feelings that are hard to put into words.
Does Anyone See What I Make?
Only the group, if you choose to share it, and only for as long as you want. Nothing is displayed or kept without your say so.
Does Insurance Cover the Art Group?
It is part of your program rather than billed separately, so what matters is how your plan covers your level of care. Sol accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, CareFirst, Cigna, UC SHIP and UnitedHealthcare. Sol can often work with HMO policies through a single case agreement. Sol does not accept Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare, Molina, IEHP, Kaiser, TRICARE or TriWest. Every plan is different, so the quickest way to know is to verify your insurance. Our admissions team responds within 24 hours.
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A Gentle Way Into What Is Hard to Say
A creative, restful part of the week, alongside the clinical care at the heart of your treatment.
4175 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501
Confidential. Nothing is graded and nothing is shared without your say so.
Sources4
- 1.Iguina MM, Kashan S. Art Therapy. StatPearls Publishing, updated August 28, 2023, hosted on NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549771/
- 2.US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder, 2023, Recommendation 27. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/
- 3.US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/complementary_alternative_for_ptsd.asp
- 4.Ruddy R, Milnes D. Art therapy for schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like illnesses. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, October 2005. https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD003728_art-therapy-schizophrenia-or-schizophrenia-illnesses
Medical Disclaimer
This page is educational and is not medical advice. The art group at Sol Women’s Treatment is run by program staff rather than by a credentialed art therapist, runs alongside clinical treatment, and is not a treatment for any condition on its own. Even for credentialed art therapy, which Sol does not provide, the VA and Department of Defense clinical practice guideline for PTSD currently places creative arts therapies in its insufficient-evidence category. Sol is certified by the California Department of Health Care Services for outpatient and intensive outpatient services, certification 330246AP, and licensed by the California Department of Social Services, facility 331881576, and does not provide detox, inpatient or residential care. No two women respond identically and nothing here promises a result. In a medical emergency call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.