Coloring vs. art therapy
The American Art Therapy Association has drawn this line explicitly: a coloring book is a wellness tool, while art therapy, a mental health profession that dates to the 1940s, is a therapeutic relationship with a trained, credentialed clinician. If you're carrying something heavy, the second one is the right door. In this video, a practicing art therapist walks through the difference and where coloring books genuinely help:
What the evidence supports
The term has a longer history than the 2015 coloring boom; it appears in the research literature as far back as 1997. And structured coloring holds up in studies: Curry and Kasser (2005) measured bigger anxiety reductions from coloring mandalas and plaid patterns than from free drawing in 84 students, and Flett and colleagues (2017) found a week of daily coloring lowered anxiety and depressive symptoms in 115 university students. Modest, repeatable effects; a solid floor for a daily habit.
How to try it
Set aside ten minutes, pick one page, and leave your phone in another room. Our post on coloring for calm and focus explains what to expect from the first sessions, and the adult coloring pages library is a good place to start.