Art therapy has been around before cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), but it rarely gets acknowledged in the Australian professional literature and certainly not on mainstream TV. Until now. The ABC has bravely moved forward with its most recent show, Space 22—an attempt to showcase the value and power of art therapy to a wider population. Wisely, […]
Art therapy is often imagined as a kind of creative playground. The therapist supervises a process that is quite therapeutic in its own way, but it often has little bearing on concrete outcomes. Art therapy, however, can be much more than that. It can alter core beliefs or schemas that often underpin lifelong troublesome ways […]
It’s my pleasure to share this excellent article by Leigh Burrows (PhD) with you. As one of my students, Leigh wrote this essay as part of her coursework for the Art Therapy Certificate Course. Enjoy. Robert Gray Director and Senior Lecturer at CECAT Registered Art Therapist and Psychologist MA A. Th., AThR; B. Soc. Sc. […]
Building a trusting relationship is at the forefront of any anxiety therapy. This is supported by recent research findings that indicate that perhaps all mental health disorders are impacted greatly by dysfunctional relationships and this seems especially true for anxiety disorders. To put it simply, anxiety work is relationship work; it’s not just exposure work and medication […]
Family therapy and family art therapy has been around since the 1940s. From the mid-1980s to the present, the field has been marked by a diversity of approaches. While each approach tends to reflect the original schools, they also draw on other theories and methods. There was a strong influence on family therapy and family […]
The greatest difficulty for any adult seeking to establish a relationship with a young person is the teen’s resistance to authority and lack of trust in the adult world. This stage of adolescent development is normal, but it works against the traditional forms of verbal therapy. Art therapy can be effective for youth as they […]
The connection between art and healing is as old as time and most ancient cultures explored this vital link in both tangible and mystical ways. Today, we know the ancients were onto something and that this connection, especially the process of art making, is based on verifiable evidence—whether this is experienced in rehabilitation and recovery, or […]
What is art therapy integration? Consider this story… A man once visited a monk living in remote solitude. Curious about why somebody would choose to live so remotely, the man asked the monk for an explanation. In response, the monk led him to consider an old fountain. Stooping down to pick up a stone, the […]
A great inspiration for many art therapists is Freud’s frustration with words. In discussing dreams, he noted: “We experienced it predominantly in visual images … part of the difficulty of giving an account of dreams is due to our having to translate these images into words. ‘I could draw it,’ a dreamer often says to […]
Does a diagnostic approach marry well with art therapy? That’s a good question. When psychologists use drawings and paintings in their counselling of children, they might be tempted to lean on a diagnostic approach. However, there are several risk factors to consider. The first problem occurs should the therapist look too hard for ‘evidence’ in […]