This study investigated the effects of mandala-based art therapy on reducing the depression and
improving the self-esteem of a middle-aged woman. The participant for this study who lived in city K was
a fifty-year old woman with depression and low self-esteem. The therapy program ran for 28 sessions, from
May 13th, 2009 to February 15th, 2010, once a week, each session 60 to 90 minutes long. The participant
was administered K-BDI (Korean version of Beck\'s Depression Inventory), and a self-esteem scale before,
in the middle of, and at the end of the therapy program. In addition, changes observed in the participant\'s
artwork were analyzed as the therapy program progressed. The findings of this study are as follows. First,
mandala-based art therapy proved effective in reducing the depression of the participant. Second,
mandala-based art therapy proved effective in improving the self-esteem of the participant. Third, the
analysis on the changes in the color and theme of the participant\'s artwork showed positive change in the
participant\'s depression and self-esteem. Overall, the findings support the positive effects of mandala-based
art therapy that the participant found mandala-based art therapy easily accessible and was able to express
and reflect on herself through the therapy.