Pictures can speak a thousand words, particularly, when you're struggling to handle stress or overcome mental illness.

Painting pictures, sculpting clay figures or building cardboard structures from boxes can release feelings and free a person from the pressures of having to articulate painful and conflicting thoughts.

"That's what art therapy is all about," says painter Elaine Shor, whose desire to interact more with others led her to leave the isolation of her studio to lead art therapy classes for children and adults at the New Jersey Center for the Healing Arts (NJCHA) in Red Bank. A non-profit, comprehensive wellness center, the NJCHA offers programs and services in the areas of mental, physical and spiritual health.

"I work alone a lot in my studio," she explains, "and wanted to be more interactive with the world. Art therapy felt right because I could combine doing what I love, painting, with my interest in helping others deal with important life issues. Painting or working in other art forms is healing in itself. Once the process takes hold, people begin to open up."

Shor studied art and psychology as an undergraduate at Brooklyn College.

She chose to focus on her art (large, figurative oils) after graduation, while her two children were young. In 1995, she returned to college to study art therapy part time at New York University in a highly recognized and accredited program led by Edith Kramer, an art therapy founder. Shor received her master's degree in 1998, was certified by the American Art Therapy Association and then began facilitating afternoon and evening art therapy classes at the center.

"I have found a perfect balance in my life," Shor says. "My passion for painting is fulfilled in the mornings. Afternoons and evenings are enhanced by helping clients gain self-awareness through various forms of art."

Clients participating in Shor's art therapy sessions work with a variety of media--acrylic paint, pastels, oils, crayons, colored pencils, clay and cardboard. Different art materials elicit different responses, Shor explains. "If someone has slipped back from reality, the use of something easy to manage, such as crayons, works best. Anything too hard to control, or too fluid, would only add to the frustration and powerlessness the client is experiencing. Working with crayons or colored pencils allows for the creation of clear boundaries with no smudging."

Building trust, resolving conflict and reaching resolution takes time. Shor, who works mainly with children between the ages of 5 and 19, says she believes art therapy works.

"In verbal therapy, patients must express how they feel at times when talking is difficult," she says. "Art therapy is one step removed. What the person does, not says, is important. Individual responses, which are discovered through the process, resonate strongly. I don't interpret. The clients do."

The goal, she adds, is to have clients gain some mastery over the medium they use, thus enhancing their self esteem.

Art therapy is becoming increasingly important in addressing lifestyle issues and in fostering wellness. Most hospitals have art therapy programs. Senior centers, nursing homes and mental health centers find art helps participants open up and begin to deal with the issues that are causing them stress.

Shor is quick to add that one need not be an artist to benefit from art therapy. In fact, she works hard to undo damage done in high school art programs. "A big difference in art therapy is that there are no rules; no judgment is exercised. Gaining self-awareness is not like writing a good essay. Comparing art therapy to high school art classes would be like comparing talk therapy to an English class," Shor says. "It's expression versus technique."

Currently, Shor is completing her required 1,000 "client contact" hours to gain formal credentials and registration with the American Art Therapy Credentials Board. On completion, she will have ATR (Registered Art Therapist) after her other degrees and will be eligible for board certification.

She says she plans to continue what she's doing, always searching for new art forms to help clients develop healthy lifestyles.

"When you enjoy and believe in something, everything clicks," she says. "I'm in the right place."