Art Therapy History

• Art therapy utilizes art media, images, and the creative process, and respects patient/client responses

expression; it has its roots in the transference in relation between the patient and the therapist, and on the encouragement of free association”. It is therefore closely allied to psychoanalytic therapy. Florence Cane’s contributions to the origins of art therapy are less known than those of her sister Margaret Naumburg. The “Scribble technique” described in Florence Cane’s book ‘The Artist in Each of Us’ (1983) has historically been employed by art therapists as a technique to reduce inhibitions and liberate spontaneous imagery from the unconscious. (Art Therapy; by Hones Michael ;2013) P111. Michael Edwards was a painter, pioneer art therapist, analytical psychologist and curator of the picture archive of the artwork of patients of C.G. Jung. He was born in 1930 on the outskirts of London. He was an early and leading proponent of the field of art therapy. Edwards observed that Jung made art about his inner experiences as a vivid source of personal insight into his situation; this in turn informed the development of his psychological theories. No other major psychologist has attended to his own inner life through imagery in this way. As a Jungian teacher and practitioner. Edwards influenced the field of art therapy internationally to appreciate the potential of symbols and images to carry multiple and ambiguous meaning.

emotions (Lister et. al, 2008, p. 248). The role of the art therapist is not to prohibit the

Knowledge and application of art therapy approaches, material choices and directives are beneficial to treat clients. In Approaches to Art Therapy, Theory and Technique by Judith Rubin, we explore the many different approaches used within Art Therapy. Prior art education helps to manipulate material choices and creatively guiding the directives is key to successful art therapy. Clients are unique and to approach their circumstances focusing on their needs art therapists need to be flexible with their methodologies.

Art therapy is based off of experiential family therapy which emerged from the humanistic approach of existential psychology. Gladding (2014) says that The foundation of experiential theory is that the individual within the family are unaware of their true emotions and if they are aware of them they suppress them. Experiential approaches incorporate family play into session which is good because it helps,

Like everything else, there is a romanticized idea of art. A balcony overlooking Los Angeles/ New York/ Italy/ France/ Greece. A misunderstood starving artist conveying their emotions by painting on a canvas. The underlying aspect is emotion. Art is a way to express emotions if you look at the work of Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso what you will see is subconscious emotions on a canvas. Art making is hypothesized to involve bilateral stimulation, engaging the integrating and planning functions of the prefrontal cortex to sequence narratives using left brain functions. Slowly evolving to being used by psychoanalysts and art therapy becoming a profession. This essay will show how art plays an important factor in psychological

Like the case example of Bridget in the article, “Art Therapy: A Proposal for Inclusion in School Settings” where she was assessed by the school art therapist, Marie learned to also use art to process her inner physical and emotional pain in an environment where she felt safe. Since the beginning of Marie’s assessment and interaction with the art therapist she began showing baby steps and signs of progress. With that being said, Marie’s trauma was so severe and had been going on for years, therefore it became clear that her need for continued art therapy was necessary and

Art therapy, the use of creative processes as a means of aiding one’s well-being. Art therapies allow individuals to express themselves through creative means. Often the process of making art is the core of the process of art therapy: through the work, individuals can experience themselves as empowered, valued, able to achieve, and able to deal with a task. Art can articulate deep feelings and can bring unconscious issues to the fore. Group art therapy approaches can also foster social interaction. Kruppers (2014) (para. 1).

As explained by Donna Betts in her essay Art Therapy: Definition of the Profession, “ Art Therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, by people who seek personal development” (Betts 1). Making art not only unlocks a person’s creativity, but also allows the creator to express him or herself in a non-verbal way that works exceptionally well for abused children. This practice involves several sessions in which the client uses art as a mode of communication, expressing concerns, ideas, fears and past experiences. The process involves a holistic approach in that it not only addresses emotional and cognitive issues, but also enhances social, physical and developmental growth (Pfeifer 63).

In the 1930’s art therapy began to take shape and be noticed as a therapy. The roots of art therapy lay mainly in art education, the practice of art, and developmental psychology. In the late 1940s, Margaret Naumburg

Imagine receiving therapeutic treatment through painting, drawing, photography, music, acting, dancing, or any other form of creative expression. Therapeutic art has been shown to have power and influence on emotional and developmental states of individuals (Paskaleva & Uzunova, 2015). In their professional paper, researchers Paskaleva and Uzunova discuss multiple benefits of art therapy on the body and mind. In particular, the knowledge that art acts as a non-verbal communication of inner selves, and that it has evidence of increased emotional states, moods, and ideas is of great interest. Also, the finding that there is no significant restrictions on the positive effects of art therapy when considering age, gender, or education level, is promising due to the possibility of far reaching effects on a wide variety of people (Paskaleva & Uzunova, 2015). This statement allows for the realization that older adults, no matter the age, can benefit from therapeutic art interventions. Certain research looks specifically at the effects of art therapy on older adults’ cognition, improvements in dementia patients’ states, the decrease in symptoms for older adults suffering from depression, and the improvement of quality of life through art intervention; from these studies, one can begin to theorize that the lives of the elderly can be changed for the better through art.

Expressive arts therapy is the use of art modalities, creative process, and aesthetic experience in a therapeutic context. It is a therapy of the imagination (McNiff, 1992). Effective communication is an essential element in therapeutic relationships and, although verbal language is the most conventional means of conveying information, other forms can convey just as much as words. The arts are an alternative form of communication that has recently received recognition for their value in therapeutic settings. There is a long well-established connection between the arts and psychology. Expressive arts therapy builds on a natural, complimentary relationship between the two disciplines. As a formal therapy, this form is relatively new with its

Western traditions narrowly define art as a market-oriented specialized discipline (Levine & Levine, 2004). When art is used therapeutically, content and meaning take priority over mechanics and technicalities.

Art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. A goal in art therapy is to improve or restore a client’s functioning and his or her sense of personal well-being.

The definition of Art Therapy adapted by the American Therapy Association: Art Therapy is a human service profession that utilizes art media, images, the creative art process and patient client responses to the created products as reflections of an individual’s development, abilities, personality interests, concerns and conflicts. Art therapy practice is based on knowledge of human developmental and physiological theories which are implemental in the full spectrum of models of assessment and treatment including educational, psychodynamic, cognitive, transpersonal, and other therapeutic means of reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, developing social skills, managing behaviour, solving problems, reducing anxiety, aiding reality orientation, and increasing self-esteem.(American Art Therapy Association, 2013 ).