Ethics in Art Therapy: Who Owns the Artwork, and Who Can See It?

Why do ethics in art therapy matter? Who owns artwork made in sessions, how it is stored, photographed and shared, and how consent works with children.

At the end of a session, an unfinished drawing lies on the table. The colours are a little muddled, and there is a small figure in the corner; perhaps a feeling the person has expressed for the first time not in words but in lines. The questions that come to mind on leaving the session are often not asked aloud: Will this drawing stay here? Will someone photograph it? Will anyone else see it? Ethics in art therapy are concerned with precisely the answers to these quiet questions. In this article we explain in plain language who owns the work produced in creative sessions, how it can be stored, under what conditions it can be shared and what is taken into account when working with children.

Why Are Ethics in Art Therapy a Separate Topic?

In a talking therapy session, what is said stays in the air unless it is recorded; confidentiality is mostly about not carrying what was discussed outside the session. In creative work the situation is a little different: something tangible remains after the session. A drawing, a collage, a small clay figure or a poem. These works carry traces of the person's inner world and are just as sensitive as what is said in a session.

The existence of a tangible work also raises new questions. You cannot photograph a spoken word, but you can photograph a drawing. You cannot hang a sentence on the wall, but you can hang a picture. That is why every process that uses creative methods needs clear rules on how the work will be handled.

The principles described in this article apply to any psychological support process in which creative tools such as drawing, music, writing or drama are used. If you are interested in the wider framework, our article on ethical rules in therapy offers a broader view.

Who Owns the Artwork? The Basic Principle

The work produced in creative sessions belongs to the client. This is the most fundamental of the ethical principles in art therapy. The fact that it was made in the therapy room, that the materials were provided by the professional or that the work was part of a therapy process does not change this.

This principle reminds us that ownership applies not only to the paper or clay but also to the meaning the work carries. A drawing may hold a feeling the person has not yet shared with anyone; the right to decide who sees it therefore lies with the person.

In practice, this principle means several things:

• The client may take their work home if they wish.
• The client may ask for the work to be kept in a safe place in the therapy setting throughout the process.
• How the work will be stored, how long it will be kept and what will happen to it when the process ends are discussed with the client.
• If the client wants to destroy a piece of work, that is their right. For some people, tearing up or throwing away a drawing can even be a meaningful part of the process.

Every line drawn in a session belongs to the person as much as every word spoken; and it is first and foremost the person who decides what happens to it.

Storage, Photography and Records: Under What Conditions?

In some processes it may make sense to keep or photograph the work. For example, returning to earlier pieces to see change over time can be part of the process. All of these steps, however, depend on certain conditions:

1. Explicit consent: Photographing a piece of work or adding it to a file is done with the client's explicit consent. Assuming "it probably won't be a problem" is not enough.
2. Clarity of purpose: The reason for taking a photograph or keeping the work is stated clearly, for example: "We might want to look at this drawing together in a few weeks."
3. Secure storage: Stored works and photographs are protected under confidentiality like other session records, and kept somewhere others cannot access.
4. Consent can be withdrawn: The client may withdraw consent given earlier; in that case the photographs are deleted or the work is handed back to them.
5. Protection of personal data: Digital copies of the work may also count as personal data and are processed in line with the relevant legislation.

Similar care is needed in online sessions. Taking a screenshot when a client holds their drawing up to the camera is something that should not be done without explicit consent. Nor is the client obliged to send a photo of work they made during the session. You can find the general rules of confidentiality in therapy in detail in our article on confidentiality in therapy.

Exhibitions, Social Media and Publication: The Limits of Sharing

The most debated aspect of creative work is sharing it. Sometimes clients are proud of something they have made and may want to share it. Sometimes institutions or events want to exhibit such work. From the standpoint of ethics in art therapy, the principles on this are quite clear:

• Sharing happens only with explicit, informed consent. The client should know where, with whom, for what purpose and for how long their work will be shared.
• Identity is protected. A shared piece contains no name, face or details that would allow the person to be recognised, unless the client explicitly wishes otherwise.
• There is no pressure. Even the question "It's turned out really well; shall we share it?" can feel, within a power relationship, like a request the client finds hard to refuse. When consent is sought, it is emphasised that saying no is completely free.
• It is not used for promotion. Sharing clients' work on social media to advertise a professional or an organisation is incompatible with ethical principles.

Let us imagine an adult who made a drawing during a period of grief, finds it very meaningful and asks, "Can I share this on Instagram?" That is their own decision; the work belongs to them. But while this decision is being discussed, it may be useful to think together about questions such as how the comments that might follow could make them feel and how much of themselves they want to reveal.

In group work, responsibility is shared a little more widely. In a group session everyone can see one another's work; so at the start of the group it is made clear that what is seen and heard in the session will not be taken outside, that no one will photograph or interpret other people's work. Group members comment on each other's work only if the owner wishes, and within the frame the owner has described. These rules keep the group a safe space and help participants express themselves more freely.

Working with Children: Parental Consent and the Child's Own Agreement

In creative work with children, the ethical questions have more layers. A child's drawing carries responsibilities both to the child and to their parent, who is the child's legal representative.

The principles that stand out in this area are:

• Double consent: Keeping, photographing or sharing a child's work requires both the parent's consent and the child's own agreement. If the child says "I don't want that", this wish is respected even if the parent has given consent.
• The child's private space: How, and to what extent, what the child draws in sessions will be shared with the parent is discussed at the start of the process. Information is given about general development and progress, but each of the child's drawings is not shown to the parent one by one. A situation affecting the child's safety is the exception to this rule.
• A drawing is not a diagnostic tool: A child's drawing is not used to reach firm judgements about them. Drawings are influenced by the child's mood that day, their interests, their drawing skills and the colours they have to hand. A drawing is a tool for opening up conversation with the child.
• Care at school and at home: A child's drawing is not passed around among teachers, relatives or other parents with a "look what they drew"; it is not shown to others for the purpose of diagnosis or interpretation.

For example, when a mother photographs a drawing her child made at home and sends it to a family group asking "What do you think this means?", the child's privacy is compromised, however good the intention, and the resulting comments often lead to false alarms. We discuss common misconceptions about children's drawings in detail in our article on children's drawing analysis.

Ethics in Art Therapy and Interpretation: Discovering Meaning Together

An important part of discussions about ethics in art therapy concerns interpretation. A common misconception in popular culture is that a professional can look at a drawing and "read" a person's inner world. In creative work, however, the client does the interpreting.

This principle means that:

• The professional does not impose interpretations such as "This tree is your mother" or "You used red, so you must be angry".
• Instead, they ask questions with curiosity: "What's in this picture?", "What does this colour remind you of?", "What did you feel while making this?"
• The meaning of the work is discovered over time, together with the client's own account. A drawing may express one thing on one day and something else on another.

The client owning the interpretation does not mean the professional stays silent. The professional may draw attention to a detail the person had not noticed, for instance: "In all three of these drawings the windows are closed; how do you see that?" But this is an observation and an invitation; if the person says "It doesn't mean anything to me", that answer is accepted too. Meaning emerges not by force but at the person's own pace.

This approach reflects both respect for the client's autonomy and scientific caution. The evidence for the validity of approaches that try to infer mental states directly from drawings is very limited. For this reason a drawing is not treated as a document of findings unless the person themselves gives it meaning.

Questions You Have Every Right to Ask as a Client

When starting a process that uses creative methods, or during it, asking questions about your work is entirely natural. These questions are not a sign of mistrust but of taking ownership of your own process. For example, you might ask:

• Where will the work I make be kept after the session?
• Will photographs be taken, and if so, where and for how long will they be stored?
• What will happen to stored work when the process ends?
• Could my work be used in any training, presentation or publication? If so, will I be asked?
• What happens if I don't want to do an activity?

The answers to these questions should be clear and understandable. Let us imagine a university student who worries that a collage they made in early sessions might one day be shown as a "case example", and who cannot relax because of it. Hearing, once they voice this concern, that their work belongs to them alone and will not be used anywhere without their permission may help them take part in the process more freely.

You do not need to wait for a suitable moment to ask; you can ask the moment you finish a piece of work or weeks later. Changing a decision you made earlier is also your right.

A Safe Framework: Strong Emotions and Boundaries

Creative methods can sometimes open doors that talking cannot. A drawing may unexpectedly bring to the surface a memory or strong feeling that has gone unexamined for years. This is another dimension of ethical responsibility in art therapy.

The following are important for a safe framework:

• Going slowly: Not opening up more than the person can carry, especially with subjects such as trauma and grief.
• Closure: Ending the session calmly, in a way that allows emotions to settle again.
• The right to choose: Respecting the client's right not to do an activity, to stop halfway, or to want simply to draw rather than talk.
• Risk assessment: When thoughts of self-harm or suicide are sensed, the limits of confidentiality come into play and the person's safety takes priority. In an emergency, 112 (emergency services) should be called.

In Turkey, the academic field around the use of creative methods is still developing, and there does not appear to be a separate, legally defined professional title for practising these methods. Current legislation should therefore be followed. In every case, creative work is carried out by people trained in mental health, together with psychotherapy or medical treatment where needed. In work with children, drawing, play and similar tools can be used in child and play therapy with the same ethical principles in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take the drawing I made in a session home?

Yes. The work produced in creative sessions belongs to you. You can take it with you if you wish, or ask for it to be kept safely in the therapy setting throughout the process. It helps to discuss this at the start of the process.

Can I object to my drawing being photographed?

Of course. Photography is done only with your explicit consent, and even if you agreed earlier, you can withdraw that consent. Saying no will not affect your process negatively.

Can I see the drawings my child made in sessions?

Parents are informed about the general course of the process; however, each of the child's drawings may not be shared individually. This is to protect the child's sense of trust. How information will be shared is agreed together at the start of the process; situations affecting the child's safety are always an exception.

Is it right for the school counsellor to interpret my child's drawing?

Drawings can be a valuable tool for starting a conversation with a child. However, drawing a diagnosis or firm judgement from a single drawing is not scientifically supported. If there is a concern, assessment should draw on several sources, such as observation, a meeting with the family and, where necessary, standardised tests.

• #ethics in art therapy
• #confidentiality
• #client rights
• #children's drawings

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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