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.

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.

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.

Resilience is a much-talked-about topic these days. The view that resilience is an important aspect of mental well-being has been gaining attention among health professionals and researchers. Tatyana Barankin and Nazilla Khanlou draw from the latest research and theoretical developments on resilience in children and youth and present it in a way that is relevant for a diverse audience, including parents, educators, health care providers, daycare workers, coaches, social service providers, policy makers and others. Among the unique contributions of this book is that the authors consider the development of resilience at three levels. Growing Up Resilient explores the individual, family and environmental risk and protective factors that affect young people's resilience: individual factors: temperament, learning strengths, feelings and emotions, self-concept, ways of thinking, adaptive skills, social skills and physical health family factors: attachment, communication, family structure, parent relations, parenting style, sibling relations, parents' health and support outside the family environmental factors: inclusion (gender, culture), social conditions (socio-economic situation, media influences), access (education, health) and involvement. Tips on how to build resilience in children and youth follow each section. The ability for children and youth to bounce back from today's stresses is one of the best life skills they can develop. Growing Up Resilient is a must-read for adults who want to increase resilience in the children and youth in their lives.

"Gender is all around us. Beliefs about gender impact our jobs, families, schools, religions, laws, politics, relationships, sports, clothes, and so much more. Gender permeates almost every aspect of our lives as humans. Although this book is part of a series called "What Everyone Needs to Know," it would be impossible to cover everything known about gender in one book, and, since gender is something we all have in common and at the same time all experience differently, a consensus on the "most important" parts of gender differs based on personal experience and interest. In this book we've tried to give you the highlights, so that you can dig deeper on your own if you hit a topic that's interesting to you"--

Whilst much has been written about the identification of resilience in children and their families, comparatively little has been written about what practitioners can do to support those children and families who need the most pressing help. Resilient Therapy explores a new therapeutic methodology designed to help children and young people find ways to keep positive when living amidst persistent disadvantage. Using detailed case material from a range of contexts, the authors illustrate how resilient mechanisms work in complex situations, and how resilient therapy works in real-life situations. In addition to work with families, helping welfare organisations achieve greater resilience is also tackled. This book will be essential reading for practitioners working with children, adolescents and their families who wish to help their clients cope with adversity and promote resilience.

An innovative guide to the practice of art therapy Since 1978, Judith Aron Rubin's Child Art Therapy has become the classic text for conducting art therapy with children. Twenty-five years later, the book still stands as the reference for mental health professionals who incorporate art into their practice. Now, with the publication of this fully updated and revised Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition, which includes a DVD that illustrates art therapy techniques in actual therapy settings, this pioneering guide is available to train, inform, and inspire a new generation of art therapists and those seeking to introduce art therapy into their clinical practice. The text illustrates how to: Set the conditions for creative growth, assess progress, and set goals for therapy Use art in individual, group, and family situations, including parent-child pairings, mothers' groups, and adolescent groups Work with healthy children and those with disabilities Guide parents through art and play Talk about art work and encourage art production Decode nonverbal messages contained in art and the art-making process Use scribbles, drawings, stories, poems, masks, and other methods to facilitate expression Understand why and how art therapy works Along with the useful techniques and activities described, numerous case studies taken from Rubin's years of practice add a vital dimension to the text, exploring how art therapy works in the real world of children's experience. Original artwork from clients and the author illuminate the material throughout. Written by an internationally recognized art therapist, Child Art Therapy, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition is a comprehensive guide for learning about, practicing, and refining child art therapy.