Through a review of the literature on art therapy, a discussion of the strengths and limitations of the arts and art therapy for young children, and a survey of various techniques and uses of art therapy, this paper examines how children translate their perceptual world into their drawings. The paper notes that art therapy is, primarily, a means of fostering the development of a sense of identity and promoting maturation in general. It is both an essential component of the therapeutic milieu and a form of therapy which complements or supports psychotherapy but does not replace it. The paper recommends that, when working with children and their drawings, counselors need to help children verbalize their thoughts and feelings about the content of the pictures. Contains 30 references. (MDM)