Kelly Darke is an artist and art therapist.  She recently completed a masters degree in Art Education for Art Therapy as well as receiving a K-12 art education certificate at Wayne State. She works as an art therapist with individuals who have suffered traumatic head injuries, and she works as a professional artist and combines her passion for fine art and art therapy into her current work.  We sat down with Kelly to get a better understanding of her profession(s).

Thedetroiter.com: Why art therapy?

Kelly:  I have always been an artist, and I gradually became interested in art therapy and the way it combined psychology with art as a way to help people.

Thedetroiter.com:  Where are you an art therapist?

Kelly:  I am currently working at TBI, Solutions in Southfield, Michigan. Our clients suffer from traumatic brain injuries, which are mostly caused by car accidents.

Thedetroiter.com: What does your job entail?

Kelly:  I am responsible for assessing new clients to determine if art therapy would benefit them since all brain injuries are unique. When working with clients, our goals are mostly geared towards cognitive rehabilitation: fine motor skills, focus and concentration, frustration tolerance, and stress reduction (among others). As with all the therapists at our facility, I write monthly reports on the progress of clients and discuss the clients’ needs in art therapy and my recommendations during monthly care conferences.

Thedetroiter.com:. What is the most difficult part about your job?

 Kelly:  It is very difficult when a client is discharged due to a lack of progress.

Thedetroiter.com: What is the most rewarding part about your job?

Kelly:  Seeing the clients’ progress – no matter how small, every improvement is a great success.

One of the greatest moments of my job was when a client recently told me, “when I’m at home and I start to get really angry, I just go to my room and get my art supplies and start drawing – then I feel better and I’m not angry anymore.”

When a client is able to transfer what they have learned in the clinic and use that at home it means I have made some sort of impact and that is an amazing feeling.

Thedetroiter.com: Do you use art therapy in your own life?

Kelly:  All the time! There are many times when working with clients is very intense and I need to process the tension / anxiety / stress – whatever you want to call it. I often use knitting to relax or stitching to relieve the anxiety. Of course we all have stress in our lives from work, family, school… it’s important to have an outlet that allows you to completely let go of the problems.

Thedetroiter.com: You are also a practicing artist, does art therapy influence your art practice?

Kelly:  My art practice and art therapy are definitely interwoven. I am much more aware of how my artwork could apply to my art therapy practice – the research ideas are exciting.

Thedetroiter.com: Who should use art therapy?

Kelly:  anyone who feels that they could improve their confidence, improve their personal insight, reduce their stress and anxiety, relieve their depression, or relieve their physical pain. . . . There are so many art therapists doing amazing work with various populations – and you don’t need to be an artist to benefit from art therapy.

Thedetroiter.com:  Where would you like to see art therapy as a profession in 5 years?

Kelly:  I would love to see more respect for art therapy as a profession and for art therapists as professionals. We are trained in psychology and art at the masters level to be able to practice art therapy.  Art therapy is often not taken seriously by individuals or institutions, or they feel art therapy is “magic, touchy-feely” stuff… There is tons of research on the emotional and neurological benefits of art therapy. It is effective.

I would also like to see an art therapy license available in every state.

Editor’s Note: Kelly’s my sister.