The purpose of this study is to describe and explore the experiences of therapists during art sessions in
dealing with clients’ artworks. This study followed Max van Manen’s hermeneutical phenomenological
research method. A total of 13 art therapists who have acquired master’s degrees or above in art therapy
participated in this study. The data for this study was collected from May to December 2016. As a result,
eight essential the me sand 23 sub-themes were derived and examined. The four primary conclusions are as
follows. First, art therapists communicate with clients through their artworks, which are the language of the
clients use; as a result, therapists experience a better understanding of their clients. Second, art therapists
experience the therapeutic advantages of artworks. Art therapists apply this experience to their upcoming
sessions and discover the growth of their clients. Third, art therapists notice how their life experiences
influence the way they work with the clients’ artworks; in turn, the experience the therapists gained from
working with the clients’ artworks influenced the lives of the art therapists. Fourth, as the therapists go
through the continuous training necessary for dealing with clients’ artwork, they gain capabilities to lead art
therapy flexibly, experiencing their own growth as art therapists.