Art Therapy, Art Smart

Art Therapy, Art Smart is a psychotherapy and counselling practice in London, Ontario, offering services from a suite at 111 Waterloo Street, Suite 603. The practice brings together registered psychotherapists and an art therapist who work with children, youth, adults and families, and it can be reached at 519-868-5217. What sets this practice apart in the local mental-health landscape is its use of creative, art-based methods alongside more traditional talk-based counselling — an approach that can be less intimidating for clients who find it hard to put difficult feelings directly into words.

Psychotherapy, counselling, art therapy: what the words actually mean

These three terms get used almost interchangeably by the public, but they describe related, slightly different things, and knowing the difference helps a London resident pick the right fit before ever picking up the phone.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a regulated, structured process in which a trained professional helps a client understand and work through emotional, behavioural or relational difficulties over a series of sessions. It relies mainly on conversation, guided reflection and specific therapeutic techniques, and in Ontario it is delivered by professionals registered with a recognized regulatory college.

Counselling

Counselling is a broader umbrella term. It can address a specific, often more immediate concern — a life transition, a family conflict, a stressful period — and may be shorter-term or more solution-focused than open-ended psychotherapy, though the two frequently overlap in practice.

Art therapy

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses drawing, painting, collage or other creative materials as part of the therapeutic process, rather than relying on words alone. A registered art therapist is trained to interpret and guide this creative process safely; the goal is not to produce a finished artwork but to give feelings, memories or experiences a shape that can then be explored and discussed. It is often especially effective with children and youth, who may not yet have the vocabulary to describe what they are feeling, but many adults also find that working with images and materials opens doors that conversation alone does not.

Services offered

The practice offers individual psychotherapy and counselling for adults, along with art therapy and counselling approaches adapted for children, youth and families. Sessions are provided from the Waterloo Street office suite, and the practice also offers online booking for those arranging an appointment. Because the team includes both registered psychotherapists and a registered art therapist, clients can be matched with an approach that fits their age, comfort level and the nature of what they are working through — whether that means a more conventional talk-based session or one that incorporates creative, art-based techniques.

Working with children, youth and families

Family life in a mid-sized city like London comes with its own pressures: school transitions, blended households, the stretch of balancing work and parenting, and the ordinary but real stress of raising children through adolescence. A practice that works specifically with children, youth and families gives parents a resource close to home rather than having to seek pediatric mental-health support outside the city.

Working with adults

Adult clients bring a wide range of concerns to psychotherapy — anxiety, low mood, grief, relationship strain, work-related stress or simply the accumulated weight of a difficult stretch of life. Having a local option on Waterloo Street means London residents can build an ongoing, in-person therapeutic relationship without a long commute across the city.

A different way in: creative, art-based support

For clients who find sitting and talking about feelings difficult — a common experience, especially for younger clients — the option of an art-based approach can lower the barrier to starting therapy in the first place. It is a genuinely different modality, not a simplified version of talk therapy, and it is one of the more distinctive offerings among mental-health practices in the London area.

A practice rooted in London's core

The office sits on Waterloo Street, within the cluster of professional suites that serves London's central neighbourhoods, an area many residents already pass through for downtown appointments, errands or work. For families living in and around Old North, the downtown core or the near east side, that central location can make it easier to fit a weekly or biweekly session into a school or work schedule without a long drive across the city. London's seasonal rhythm also shapes when people tend to reach out: the return to school in September, the darker stretch of winter, and the adjustment periods that come with a new job or a move are all times when local residents commonly look for mental-health support closer to home rather than travelling to a larger centre like Toronto or Kitchener-Waterloo.

Because the practice covers such a wide age range — from young children through to adults — it can also serve as a single point of contact for a household navigating more than one family member's needs at once, rather than sending parents and children to entirely separate practices across the city.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an art therapist and a psychotherapist?

A psychotherapist works primarily through structured conversation and guided reflection to help a client address emotional or behavioural difficulties. An art therapist uses creative materials such as drawing, painting or collage as part of that same therapeutic process, offering a non-verbal way to express and explore experiences that can be harder to put directly into words. Both are regulated approaches, and a practice offering both can match the method to the client rather than the other way around.

Is art therapy only for children?

No. While it is often especially useful with children and youth who may not yet have the vocabulary to describe complex feelings, many adults also benefit from a creative, art-based approach, particularly when talk-based methods alone feel limiting.

Do I need a referral to book an appointment?

Referral requirements vary by practice and by service; the most reliable way to confirm what is needed is to contact the practice directly at 519-868-5217 or through its online booking option.

Where is the practice located in London?

The practice operates from Suite 603 at 111 Waterloo Street in London, Ontario, a central location that is accessible to residents across the city's downtown-adjacent neighbourhoods.