Art therapy sessions: length, materials and artwork
Setting out paints, cleaning up, keeping the artwork: how art therapists can size individual session slots so the practical side doesn't eat into therapy time.
6 min read
Size each slot for the whole session, not just the time the client spends creating: setting out the materials the client may choose from, the creative time, a moment to talk about what was made, putting the artwork away to dry or be stored, and cleaning the table. If clay or paint is involved, those practical minutes add up. Build them into the slot length, or leave a gap before the next client, so the therapeutic part is never the part that gets cut.
What a session really contains
| Step | What happens | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Set out paper, paints, pastels, clay; protect the table | You, before the client arrives |
| Arrival | A few words on how the week went | Client and you |
| Creating | The client works with the materials they choose | Client, with you present |
| Talking | Looking at the work together, if the client wishes | Client and you |
| After | Artwork put to dry or stored; brushes, table and hands washed | You, sometimes with the client |
Some of these steps are yours alone and happen outside the client's time. Decide whether your slot covers them, or whether you leave a gap between slots. Either way, write the client-facing length in the service description, so nobody is surprised.
Different services for different materials
A drawing session and a clay session don't need the same set-up and cleaning time. If you use both, consider separate services with different slot lengths. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end.
| Service | Example slot | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| First session (assessment) | 75 min | €60 |
| Individual session, drawing and painting | 60 min | €50 |
| Individual session, clay and modelling | 75 min | €55 |
| Child session (parent present at start) | 45 min | €45 |
Lengths and prices are examples: set your own. If you let clients choose their materials during the session itself, one service with a slot long enough for the messiest option is simpler.
Describing sessions to new clients
People who have never done art therapy may think they need to be good at drawing. Say plainly in the description that no artistic skill is needed, that the focus is on expressing rather than on making something beautiful, and what to wear: clothes that can get paint on them. Mention if your studio has stairs or is accessible, and how to find it.
The booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, and has an optional note. For a first session, invite a line on why the person is coming, and nothing more detailed: the note also appears in the calendar file they receive.
Keeping the artwork
Artwork made in sessions matters. Decide whether you keep it in a folder per client until the end of the therapy, or whether clients take it home. Wet paintings and unfired clay need space to dry, which is one more reason to leave time at the end of each slot. Say what happens to the work in your description, so clients know from the start.
Building your week
Create your session slots on the weekdays you work and repeat them each week until an end date. If you rent a studio by the half-day, open slots only in those blocks. Regular clients can have a fixed weekly time that you book for them from your calendar; add their email so they get a confirmation and calendar file for each session.
Clients can't move bookings online: they contact you, and you move or cancel from your bookings list. Book doesn't email them about changes, so confirm new times yourself. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.