Drawing on case material from a variety of situations, the book describes medical research on medical art therapy with children, and practical approaches to using art activities with them. The text looks at children with burns, HIV, asthma and cancer.

Even in the face of challenging conditions, art therapy treatment offers meaningful opportunities for growth. It’s not always easy, though, to navigate the complex interplay of art processes, relational states, and developmental theories. For any clinician looking for guidance on the ins and outs of using art therapy with children, there is no better resource than The Practitioner’s Guide to Child Art Therapy. Both graduate students and professionals will find its pages replete with strategies for developing engaging and effective tools for understanding children’s creative expression and applying this understanding toward treatment. Clinically relevant and theoretically sound, this book synthesizes the best of the literature on art development, art therapy and child development, while emphasizing the powerful role of art media in fostering creativity and relational growth. Compelling case material and numerous art examples illustrate psychosocial, neurobiological, and attachment theories as well as practical applications, including working with attachment disruptions, anxiety, grief, parental conflict, economic poverty, chemical dependency, child abuse, and autism spectrum disorder.

Children of violence need to be heard. Unable or unwilling to verbalize their suffering, abused children are often immobilized by fear, rage, guilt, and pain. In the second edition of Breaking the Silence: Art Therapy with Children from Violent Homes , Cathy Malchiodi demonstrates the unique power of art therapy as a tool for intervening with children from violent backgrounds. In this new edition, she describes the intervention process from intake to termination, noting the complex issues involved at various levels of evaluation and interpretation. Bringing her years of experience in working at battered women's shelters to bear on the subject, Ms. Malchiodi brings the language of art therapy to life--a language of art that gives children a voice and those who work with them, a way of listening. The emphasis here is on the short-term setting where time is at a premium and circumstances are unpredictable. It is within this setting that mental health practitioners often experience frustration and a sense of helplessness in their work with the youngest victims of abusive families. Since the first edition of this book was published, research has led to some new ideas related to sexual abuse. The author analyzes several issues concerning the treatment of sexually abused children and art expressions of sexually abused children. In addition, Ms. Malchiodi launches a discussion about the ethical issues in the use of children's art as a whole. Featured throughout the book are 95 drawings by abused children. These drawings are at once poignant and hopeful, clearly representing the extraordinary suffering that abused children experience at, at the same time, showing that they can be reached. Because the practice of art therapy methods has been integrated into many disciplines, the final chapter covers development of art therapy programs for children. The author shares information on art supplied, space, and storage ideas. For art therapists, social workers, and other practitioners who work with children in crisis, this book presents a practical methodology for intervention that fosters the compassion and insight necessary to reveal what words cannot.

A classic in the field & one which may have inspired many to become art therapists, this eminently readable volume is ideal for acquainting students with some of the fundamental ideas in the field. Subjects such as a sense of identity, feelings of emptiness, interpretation of reality, ambivalence, aggression, defenses, & sublimation are discussed as Edith Kramer's eloquent words capture the interplay between child, artwork & therapist, bringing to life the fast-moving events in an artroom peopled by emotionally disturbed children. Kramer has a deep knowledge of psychoanalysis, skill & intuition as an artist & the humane love of a born teacher. In one reviewer's opinion, her book's discussion of sublimination, art & defense, aggression & the role of the art therapist have not been surpassed by later volumes or other authors. Richly documented with case material & abundantly illustrated, this book offers inspiration not only to fledgling clinicians, but to any one working with children who wishes to understand how & why art can have such a profound effect. Edith Kramer is a practicing artist & educator who has worked with disturbed, handicapped & normal children in a variety of settings. She is currently adjunct professor of art therapy at NYU.

This practical resource demonstrates how all clinicians can broaden and enhance their work with children by integrating drawing into therapy. The book enables therapists to address the multidimensional aspects of children's art without resorting to simplistic explanations. Approaching drawing as a springboard for communication and change, Malchiodi offers a wealth of guidelines for understanding the intricate messages embedded in children's drawings and in the art-making process itself. Topics covered include how to assist children in making art, what questions to ask and when, and how to motivate children who are initially resistant to drawing. Assimilating extensive research and clinical experience, the book includes over 100 examples of children's work.