Integrating Art Therapy, Indigenous Wisdom, and School Counseling to Strengthen Adolescent Mental Health Care Systems

Digital art therapy has emerged as a promising modality for supporting adolescents, particularly those with trauma histories, by combining expressive artmaking with accessible digital tools. This viewpoint article discusses the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI-based applications into digital art therapy within culturally diverse settings. We highlight the potential of AI to enhance creative engagement, increase accessibility, and facilitate emotional expression among adolescents. At the same time, we critically examine emerging concerns, including unsupervised use of AI tools, limited cultural representation in AI-generated images, and ethical implications related to autonomy and data privacy. We also elaborate on the philosophical foundations guiding digital artmaking—such as constructivist, phenomenological, and posthumanist perspectives—to deepen understanding of how adolescents interact with digital media in therapeutic spaces. The article emphasizes the need for culturally informed, ethically grounded, and trauma-sensitive approaches when implementing AI-supported digital art therapy. Future directions for collaboration between art therapists, technologists, and cultural experts are proposed to ensure that AI-based tools are empowering, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate for adolescent clients.