Group and individual art therapy sessions were conducted at an outpatient drug rehabilitation center by an art therapist intern. The clients were mostly male African American adolescents and young adults. A related literature review defines substance use disorders, explores art therapy and group therapy treatment methods, and considers multicultural factors. Countertransference and response art are discussed in regards to the therapeutic role. Themes mentioned in the literature review are demonstrated in the clients' artwork. The art therapist intern's lessons learned, response art, and recommendations are also discussed. Reproductions of the clients' artwork are included, as well as response art created by the art therapist intern.

Adolescent Art Therapy is an attempt to delineate the issues and techniques that are particular to the practice of art psychotherapy with an adolescent population. Adolescent Art Therapy provides a developmentally oriented rationale for the use of art psychotherapy with the adolescent patient.

Creative Arts-Based Group Therapy with Adolescents provides principles for effective use of different arts-based approaches in adolescent group therapy, grounding these principles in neuroscience and group process practice-based evidence. It includes chapters covering each of the main creative arts therapy modalities—art therapy, bibliotherapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, and poetry/expressive writing therapy—written by respected contributors who are expert in the application of these modalities in the context of groups. These methods are uniquely effective for engaging adolescents and addressing many of the developmental, familial, and societal problems that they face. The text offers theory and guiding principle, while also providing a comprehensive resource for group therapists of diverse disciplines who wish to incorporate creative arts-based methods into their practice with teens.

This new and timely second edition, updated with an expanded discussion of arts-based processes and additional instructions and heartfelt client narratives, continues in the trajectory of the first, promising to shape and provide guidance to both current and next generation of art therapists in the studio-based approach to working with a challenging and often maligned population. It continues to offer much in the way of guidance, motivation, and practical advice around the use of art making as the central curative component when developing therapeutic relationships with hurt and troubled teens. The author’s initial focus is on understanding the developmental issues facing adolescents and how these affect the psychotherapeutic treatment. This includes an outline of the phases of therapy: Resistance Phase, Imaging Phase, Immersion Phase, and Letting Go Phase. The second primary focus is devoted to the art as therapy approach to art psychotherapy, with several chapters examining components of this model. The final focus presents the author’s therapeutic approach to working with adolescents through responsive art making. A positive by-product of the book is that the reader will find many practical suggestions regarding materials, artistic tasks, and therapeutic techniques. In addition, the text is greatly enhanced by the powerful illustrations that highlight the chapters’ case narratives. This new edition continues to share the author’s essential philosophical, technical, pragmatic, and ethical aspects of practicing art therapy that have made him a standard-bearer for those who believe in the therapeutic power of art. The Dynamics of Art as Therapy with Adolescents should be a cornerstone text for any Adolescent Art Therapy course.

Art Therapy Practices for Resilient Youth highlights the paradigm shift to treating children and adolescents as "at-promise" rather than "at-risk." By utilizing a strength-based model that moves in opposition to pathology, this volume presents a client-allied modality wherein youth are given the opportunity to express emotions that can be difficult to convey using words. Working internationally with diverse groups of young people grappling with various forms of trauma, 30 contributing therapists share their processes, informed by current understandings of neurobiology, attachment theory, and developmental psychology. In addition to guiding principles and real-world examples, also included are practical directives, strategies, and applications. Together, this compilation highlights the promise of healing through the creative arts in the face of oppression.

Adolescents are a particularly vulnerable patient population in the justice system. Mental health providers can get specific tools for improving evaluation and treatment of at-risk youth with this comprehensive and developmentally appropriate treatment program. Using an adolescent-focused format, this protocol identifies psychological, biological and social factors that contribute to the onset of adolescent deviance.