In art making, materials and media are the intermediaries between private ideas, thoughts and feelings, and their external manifestation in a tangible, sensual form. Thus, materials provide the core ...components of the exchange that occurs between art therapists and clients. This book focuses on the sensory-based, tangible vocabulary of materials and media and its relevance to art therapy. It provides a historical account of the theory and use of materials and media in art therapy, as well as an examination of the interface between art therapy, contemporary art materials and practices, and social/critical theory. Contributing authors provide examples of how art therapists have transgressed conventional material boundaries and expanded both thinking and practice in the field. The chapters discuss traditional as well as innovative media, such as body adornments, mail and video art, and comic books. An accompanying DVD contains media clips, as well as 69 color images.
Art therapists work with diverse people experiencing life-changing distress that cannot be expressed verbally. From its early beginnings in the UK and USA, art therapy is now attracting international ...interest and recognition. To meet ever-changing needs in uncertain times, art therapists worldwide are currently advancing socially just and culturally relevant practice and research. This book presents original contributions, highlighting innovative research and culturally diverse practices that are transforming art therapy with new insights and knowledge. It captures an internationally vibrant and truly client-centred profession, and will be of interest to arts therapists, artists in healthcare, psychotherapists, counsellors, and professionals who use art therapeutically in their practice.
Creative art therapy for mental illness Chiang, Mathew; Reid-Varley, William Bernard; Fan, Xiaoduo
Psychiatry research,
20/May , Volume:
275
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
•Creative art therapies are a type of psychosocial intervention for mental illness.•Pilot trials and case reports generally report improvement to various outcomes.•Yet, large randomized control ...trials have demonstrated mixed results.•Greater standardization of research and intervention methods remains needed.•Research on the potential biological mechanisms of action remains needed.
Creative art therapy (CAT) for severe mental illness (SMI) represents an extremely heterogenous body of literature that encompasses the use of a large variety of creative mediums (i.e. visual art, music, dance, drama, writing) in the treatment of mental disorders. The present review provides a narrative summary of the findings on the use of CAT for the selected SMI, being: schizophrenia, trauma-related disorders, major depression, and bipolar disorder. A database search of PubMed and the Cochrane Library was conducted related to the use of CAT in the treatment of mental disorders published between January 2008 and March 2019. A total of 9697 citations were identified to match the search criteria and 86 full-texts were reviewed. Although literature suggests CAT to be a potentially low-risk and high benefit intervention to minimize symptoms and maximize functioning in individuals living with SMI, the lack of methodological rigor, and inconsistency in study methods and outcome measures have prevented the advancement of CAT for use in SMI. Although creation of a single CAT regimen for all psychiatric disorders stands neither practical nor advisable, greater standardization of methods would improve evaluation of CAT interventions. Future research should elucidate biological mechanisms underlying CAT methods.
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