Artgevity in Baltimore: Arts-Based Therapy for Mental Health and Wellness
Artgevity is a counseling practice centered on art therapy and expressive arts as primary healing modalities, located in Baltimore and serving adolescents, adults, and families seeking alternatives to talk-based therapy alone.
What Artgevity actually is
Artgevity integrates visual art, creative writing, music, and movement into individual and group therapy sessions. The practice is designed for people for whom traditional verbal counseling feels limiting, ineffective, or uncomfortable—those who process emotions more readily through making than through talking, or who struggle with anxiety or trauma in ways that bypass standard cognitive approaches. It is smaller than a hospital system but larger than a solo practitioner, organized as a clinical team with multiple licensed therapists trained in expressive modalities. The setting is clinical but deliberately non-institutional: rooms are outfitted with art supplies, light, and space for movement rather than the standard metal-frame office aesthetic. This distinction matters for first-time clients who have had negative experiences in traditional mental health settings or who are skeptical of therapy itself.
Services and pricing
Artgevity offers individual art therapy sessions (50 minutes), group art therapy cohorts (60 to 90 minutes, typically 6 to 10 participants), family sessions incorporating creative exercises, and trauma-informed expressive work. The practice also runs workshop-style programs on topics such as grief processing, anxiety management through creative practice, and self-esteem building for adolescents.
Individual session rates start at $85 to $95 per session when paid out-of-pocket. Insurance coverage varies; Artgevity accepts most major plans (Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United, Cigna) but verification of coverage and copay responsibility is required at intake. Out-of-pocket costs for uninsured clients can be negotiated on a sliding scale. Group sessions typically cost $40 to $60 per session and serve as a more affordable entry point for clients new to art therapy.
Workshop pricing depends on length and format; single-session workshops run $30 to $50, while multi-week series cost $120 to $200. Confirm current fees directly, as group and workshop pricing adjusts seasonally.
How Artgevity compares to other Baltimore counseling options
Baltimore has a dense landscape of traditional talk therapy providers through systems like Johns Hopkins Community Physicians and University of Maryland Medical Center, as well as independent practices offering cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic work. What distinguishes Artgevity is its explicit emphasis on non-verbal processing: clients who have tried standard therapy and found it insufficient, or who have communication or language-based barriers (autism spectrum, severe social anxiety, dissociation), often report better outcomes with art-based work.
For clients committed to evidence-based behavioral approaches (CBT for anxiety, for example), a traditional therapist may be more efficient. For those seeking depth work on trauma or grief with a body-centered rather than insight-centered frame, or for adolescents and young adults resistant to adult-style counseling offices, Artgevity's model offers a genuine alternative rather than a supplement. Many Baltimore therapists will refer clients to Artgevity specifically when talk-based work plateaus.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
Artgevity is best suited to adolescents and adults (ages 14 and up) with anxiety, depression, grief, complex trauma, creative blocks, identity exploration, or social anxiety who either prefer or benefit from non-verbal expression. Parents seeking family therapy with a less adversarial, more collaborative tone often find the expressive format more productive than traditional family counseling.
It is not a fit for individuals in acute psychiatric crisis (active suicidality, severe psychosis), who need psychiatric evaluation and medication management first; Artgevity will refer to Johns Hopkins or University of Maryland emergency services in such cases. It is also not ideal for those whose primary goal is diagnosis and medication management; while some therapists at Artgevity hold psychiatric credentials, the practice is built on therapy, not psychiatry.
What the first visit involves
Initial sessions begin with a 20-minute intake (verbal, demographic, insurance, risk screening). The therapist then introduces the client to the studio space, shows available materials (paints, pastels, clay, collage supplies, journals, movement space), and explains that the session will unfold through making rather than conventional conversation. The client is never forced to produce art, speak about their work, or explain what they have made. The therapist may guide prompts ("Make something that represents how you felt this week") or work entirely non-directively. By the end of the first session, the client has a concrete sense of the modality and whether it resonates.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Artgevity is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday by appointment. Friday hours are limited; confirm availability before booking. The practice is located on a street with metered parking; street spots turn over frequently, and there is paid lot parking nearby (typically $2 to $5 for a two-hour session). Public transit via MTA bus serves the location. Telehealth sessions are available for clients unable to access the studio in person, though these are limited to talk-based therapy and do not include art-making.
Scheduling typically requires 1 to 2 weeks' wait for first intake; ongoing clients are prioritized for weekly slots.
Artgevity fills a clinical gap in Baltimore for people whose healing does not fit the standard therapy template, grounded in a substantial evidence base for art therapy in trauma and mood disorders.
