The intention of this capstone thesis was to develop, promote, and implement an art therapy program within my school district as an intervention for at-risk students and incorporate it into the structure of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The integrative description of this capstone method development specifically highlighted how PBIS and Art therapy have been incorporated at an Urban High School in Southern California to address the increasingly growing number of at-risk students within this traditional public educational setting. At-risk behaviors in youth have been determined as signs of individual and familial distress by many researchers. With that framework in mind, my capstone project review of an ongoing implementation of PBIS in this urban high school included detailed art therapy applications that addressed themes of accountability, communication, collaboration, motivation, skill development, and goal setting for small groups of high school students, grades 9-12. As there is growing but limited data on PBIS as it applies to high school settings and very limited school art therapy programs with at-risk high school students, this work was intended to promote and to inform the district's teachers, administrators, community members, and policymakers of the potential of utilizing school-integrated art therapy as an intervention option.

Art Therapy with Students at Risk: Fostering Resilience and Growth Through Self-Expression reflects the current research, legislation, and trends that impact the theory and practice of art therapy with diverse at-risk student populations. The book is divided into eight chapters and it includes twelve therapeutic techniques. The 12 therapeutic techniques are written in a lesson plan format which provide opportunities for children to express their thoughts and feelings coupled with confirmation that their art is important to them and to others. Chapter 1, “Adolescence,” examines the developmental period between childhood and adulthood. Chapter 2, “Alternative Schools,” describes the development of alternative schools in the United States through legislative reform, education reform, and civil rights. Chapter 3, “Alternative Education,” explores the catalyst for policymakers to make quality education a civil rights issue. Chapter 4, “Emotions and Learning,” investigates the relationship between emotions and learning and the impact of this relationship on academic achievement. Chapter 5, “Multicultural and Diversity Competence,” focuses on the changing demographics in the United States which have significant implications for the art therapy profession. Chapter 6, “From Risk to Resilience,” highlights the paradigm shift in resilience research away from the deficit, pathology-focused model of development, referred to as the Damage Model to the Challenge Model. Chapter 7, “Art Psychotherapy,” provides insight into the unique criteria that distinguishes it from other types of psychotherapy. Chapter 8, “Art Therapy with Students at Risk,” presents a foundational framework for developing and implementing an art therapy program within a traditional or nontraditional learning environment. This book is designed for art therapy students, professional art therapists, educators, administrators, and practitioners in the allied professions of counseling, social work, psychology, prevention, and human services.

Positive Art Therapy Theory and Practice outlines a clear, systematic approach for combining positive psychology with art therapy’s capacity to mobilize client strengths; induce engagement, flow and positive emotions; transform perceptions; build healing relationships and empowering narratives; and illuminate life purpose and meaning. Woven throughout are clinical illustrations, state-of-the-art research, discussion questions, and reflections on how therapists can apply this approach to their work with clients, and their personal and professional development. The book also includes a comprehensive list of more than 80 positive art therapy directives, a robust glossary, and lists of strengths and values. Written in an inviting and amusing style, this manual is both entertaining and practical—an invaluable tool for any practitioner looking to apply the most current theory and research on positive psychology and art therapy to their clinical practice.

Cognitive Behavioral Art Therapy explores the intersection of art therapy practices and principles within cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) theories and models. This timely new resource examines CBT theory as it relates to art therapy, and offers an argument for the inclusion of CBT within art therapy-based treatments. An analysis of the historical roots of both CBT and cognitive behavioral art therapy (CBAT) is presented along with current practices and a proposed model of implementation. Also included are case studies to enhance this in-depth exploration of a largely unexamined perspective within the arts therapies.

This volume describes art therapy interventions for particularly dysfunctional families and explains the connections between the process of creating art and the curative process in meeting these families' needs. The first chapter examines distressed family systems, and psychotherapy in relation to the uses of art therapy. Subsequent chapters present a crisis intervention model for family art therapy and demonstrate the applications of this model with single-parent families, families affcetd by alcoholism or sexual abuse, and families of political refugees and disaster victims. More than 70 samples of the art produced by these families are reproduced and analyzed.

Arising from concerns about children presenting behavioural difficulties, this book outlines a number of useful approaches for teachers and others to use with individuals, small groups and classes. Its approach is designed to be used in a variety of settings such as schools, special needs education, counselling, speech therapy and youth work.

First published in 1986. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.