Pragmatic and poetic, this book is a tribute to the complexities and mysteries of working with people who are suffering and striving to tell their stories through expressive artistic processes. Its roots lay deep in encounters with children, adolescents, and adults who have come to the author for help over the last three decades. It is grounded in interactions with graduate art therapy students and encounters with important themes in life. This book makes no effort to affix particular meanings to the metaphors discussed in the clinical vignettes, but rather, suggests ways to listen and respond.

This expanded new edition reflects the author's efforts to explore the crucial components of the education of the creative arts therapist. The text reflects significant developments in the profession of art therapy, important modifications in the educational standards of the American Art Therapy Association, and profound changes in health care. The book is an expression of the author's belief that the most essential element of art therapy is art as the core of the profession. It is art making that undergirds the profession and is also the key element that art therapists bring to the client-therapist and educator-student relationships. Central, too, to the author's approach is the manner in which mentor and beginning art therapist come together in their efforts to learn and grow. The concern for authentic engagement in the training relationship enhances the beginner's ability to use the self to help clients learn to use art and artistic expression to identify and integrate new insights in their lives. Topics presented include The Image, Making Art, Beginner's Chaos, Journey Metaphor in Education, Mentor/Supervisor, The Art Experience, Core Curriculum, Practical Experience, Science and Soul in the Clinical Setting, The Work of Art Therapy, The Young Student, Gifts of the Male and Female Student, Role of Philosophy, Therapy and Holidays, Metaverbal Therapy, Role of Metaphor, Role of Love, Role of Assessment, and Role of Work. The book is ultimately concerned with the use of art and the artistic relationship to promote human growth. The author's deep understanding of both art and existentialism makes this book a high point in the ever-evolving fields of existential psychotherapy and art therapy.

This expanded new edition reflects the author’s efforts to explore the crucial components of the education of the creative arts therapist. The text reflects significant developments in the profession of art therapy, important modifications in the educational standards of the American Art Therapy Association, and profound changes in health care. The book is an expression of the author’s belief that the most essential element of art therapy is art as the core of the profession. It is art making that undergirds the profession and is also the key element that art therapists bring to the client-therapist and educator-student relationships. Central, too, to the author’s approach is the manner in which mentor and beginning art therapist come together in their efforts to learn and grow. The concern for authentic engagement in the training relationship enhances the beginner’s ability to use the self to help clients learn to use art and artistic expression to identify and integrate new insights in their lives. Topics presented include The Image, Making Art, Beginner’s Chaos, Journey Metaphor in Education, Mentor/Supervisor, The Art Experience, Core Curriculum, Practical Experience, Science and Soul in the Clinical Setting, The Work of Art Therapy, The Young Student, Gifts of the Male and Female Student, Role of Philosophy, Therapy and Holidays, Metaverbal Therapy, Role of Metaphor, Role of Love, Role of Assessment, and Role of Work. The book is ultimately concerned with the use of art and the artistic relationship to promote human growth. The author’s deep understanding of both art and existentialism makes this book a high point in the ever-evolving fields of existential psychotherapy and art therapy.

In order to practice art therapy, one must have faith in the healing qualities of art processes and products. Introduction to Art Therapy: Faith in the Product begins and ends with references to love and faith, including characteristic elements of the writing process and clinical art therapy endeavors. This third edition represents a thorough revision of ideas expressed in the previous two editions, presenting the major themes and issues of the profession in light of the experiences of intervening years. Art therapy is effective with individuals, families, and groups and it works well with the intellectually gifted and the learning impaired. It can also be used with the chronically mentally ill, the terminally ill, the vision impaired, and the deaf. Art therapy is particularly effective with post-traumatic stress disorder--from the aftereffects of war, including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Enhancements in this text include: an overview of the spectrum of theoretical orientations within art therapy; a brief history of practice in the United States; fundamental principles of art therapy; curative aspects of art therapy; and metaverbal therapy. The author underscores the nature of the work, describes truths and fictions, explores pathos or pathology, and the therapeutic self. The text examines the social responsibility of art therapists and their colleagues; to record events, give form to culture, nurture imagination, and promote individual and social transformation. In addition, the author presents exceptional case examples including client-prepared artwork that highlights the text. This book will be an inspiration to serious artists that want to be involved in art therapy, and to the veteran art therapists to renew their vocations by living the process of art therapy. This comprehensive and insightful book will be valuable to art therapists, medical and mental health professionals, occupational therapists, and other rehabilitation professionals that aspire to become more effective in reaching others.

Art, Play, and Narrative Therapy shows mental health professionals how the blending of expressive arts, psychotherapy, and metaphorical communication can both support and enhance clinical practice. This book illuminates the ways in which metaphorical representations form who we are, how we interact, and how we understand our larger environment. Author Lisa Moschini explains how to couple clients' words, language, stories, and artwork with treatment interventions that aid empathic understanding, promote a collaborative alliance, and encourage conflict resolution. Chapters include numerous illustrations, exercises, and examples that give clinicians inspiration for both theoretical and practical interventions.

"Psychological trauma can be a life-changing experience that affects multiple facets of health and well-being. The nature of trauma is to impact the mind and body in unpredictable and multidimensional ways. It can be a highly subjective that is difficult or even impossible to explain with words. It also can impact the body in highly individualized ways and result in complex symptoms that affect memory, social engagement, and quality of life. While many people overcome trauma with resilience and without long term effects, many do not. Trauma's impact often requires approaches that address the sensory-based experiences many survivors report. The expressive arts therapy-the purposeful application of art, music, dance/movement, dramatic enactment, creative writing and imaginative play-are largely non-verbal ways of self-expression of feelings and perceptions. More importantly, they are action-oriented and tap implicit, embodied experiences of trauma that can defy expression through verbal therapy or logic. Based on current evidence-based and emerging brain-body practices, there are eight key reasons for including expressive arts in trauma intervention, covered in this book: (1) letting the senses tell the story; (2) self-soothing mind and body; (3) engaging the body; (4) enhancing nonverbal communication; (5) recovering self-efficacy; (6) rescripting the trauma story; (7) making meaning; and (8) restoring aliveness"--

This new second edition of Attunement in Expressive Arts Therapy: Toward an Understanding of Embodied Empathy has been extensively revised. The book addresses how the arts can be applied therapeutically for mental, emotional and spiritual health. The therapeutic practices offer expanded ways of being attuned to emotional states and life conditions with individuals, relationships, groups, and communities. Specific topics include: the contexts of attunement in the arts and therapy, tuning in to embodied creative intelligence, attunement and improvisation, rhythm and resonance, and the sense of balance achieved through affective sensory states. Each chapter clearly articulates how to utilize the arts to tune in to self, other, and a larger sacred presence. The poignant stories from the author's 35 years as an artist and therapist allows the reader to experience how the arts have been used throughout history to maintain healthy physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Spontaneity, heightened sensitivity to inner states, deep connectivity to self and other, and an awareness of energetic and embodied shifts in consciousness are explored. It will be an excellent resource for those interested in learning how to engage with individuals and communities in order to address complex life challenges.