From the author: The article outlines the main ideas on which art therapeutic activities are based. Consultation with a psychologist in Ryazan. Psychological services, as a stable niche of professional activity, are gradually expanding their range. Just 10-12 years ago, turning to a psychologist was an extraordinary event, typical only for capital cities. And today, in a small city such as Ryazan (its population is comparable to one of the districts of Moscow) there are several psychological centers and psychologists’ offices! One cannot help but rejoice at the development of a civilized attitude of the residents of a provincial town towards their psychological state! I think that the subject of a special socio-psychological study could be an analysis of the reasons that prompt people to consult a psychologist. It is quite difficult to collect information on the frequency of requests for psychological consultations, specifically in the context of the most pressing psychological problems. Such information is not readily available for research. However, based on personal contacts with practical psychologists, it is known that one of the main purposes of receiving psychological advice is the problem of getting rid of alcohol and drug addiction. Another problem that a significant part of the population faces is the lack of mutual understanding between parents and children (regardless of the age of the children). The third serious psychological problem with which people turn to a psychologist is the lack of mutual understanding in married couples. The question arises, how did people overcome these problems in Russia in the past? Most likely, only luck helped to overcome the difficulties of addictive states and communication with loved ones. At the same time, the provision of psychological services gradually began to turn into a technological industry. Of course, in Ryazan, consulting a psychologist is still quite an eventful phenomenon... But in world practice, of course, over the last 50 years, psychological schools have been formed, each of which is implemented in a range of special technologies. Thus, a modern psychologist is, as a rule, not only a psychologist-consultant, but also a specialist who knows one of the psychological technologies. Consultation with a psychologist is only the first stage of psychological assistance, which involves the use of diagnostic procedures (tests, projective techniques, psychological conversation). After the client's problem is identified, the second stage begins. It can be called correctional. Depending on the psychological school within which the specialist works, the task is to change the thinking or behavior of the person seeking help. One of the technologies that belongs to the spectrum of creative self-expression therapies is art therapy. For a significant part of the population, this phrase, alas, is unfamiliar. Meanwhile, in countries with developed economies, art therapy is a special area of ​​professional activity that arose at the intersection of many disciplines: medicine, psychology, art, psychotherapy. In our country, art therapy was used as a method of psychotherapy within the framework of clinical work. However, over the past 20 years, enthusiasts have done a great deal of work to develop art therapy in Russia. St. Petersburg can safely be called the center of art therapy, although Moscow specialists are trying to keep up. So, in the broad sense of the word, art therapy includes isotherapy, music therapy, fairy tale therapy, sand therapy, drama therapy, photo therapy , dance movement therapy. Each direction has its own history, its own pioneers. The possibilities of art therapy are not limitless. However, its advantage over other methods is that the client’s right hemisphere is involved to the maximum extent. Changes occur at an unconscious level, and only after some time, something is realized that prevented the client from realizing the psychological needs. Such natural human desires as the need to give up alcohol, maintain