The aim of this study was to explore the nature and meanings of art therapists' self-work using the expressive therapies continuum (ETC). This study was conducted from November 11, 2020, to April 24, 2021 with a total of seven art therapists as participants. Research data were collected through group interviews, ETC assessments, participants' experience in each level of the ETC, and individual interviews conducted twice for each participant. The collected data were analyzed according to Max van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological research method, and the analysis results were verified through consultation with two experts with extensive experience in qualitative research. In the data analysis, 38 semantic codes or meaning constructs were identified from the data, and 13 subthemes and six essential themes emerged through categorization. The essential themes of art therapists' experience of self-work using the ETC were derived as follows: “Forming a relationship with another world,” “Desiring the freedom to do what I want,” “Trying to see myself as I am,” “Taking care of it attentively with interest,” “Standing on the path of art therapy,” and “Moving forward as an art therapist.”This study provided art therapists with an opportunity to personally experience each of the ETC levels. As a result, the bond of sympathy among participants was increased through the experience, and substantial empirical data was obtained. Based on these results, the implications and limitations of this study are were then discussed.