The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of adult male substance offenders who experienced sand tray therapy as an adjunct to their cognitive behavioral rehabilitative treatment. Results indicate a positive experience for participants. Implications for counselors are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

This article illustrates an art activity for use in psychotherapy with children or adolescents. The purpose of the activity is to utilize creativity to increase problem solving for child clients and to allow their narratives to expand therapeutically. The processing of the activity allows the art to be transformed into language, thereby involving…

The effective use of social skills has been positively associated with career success, romantic involvement, academic achievement, and mood. In response, counselors often integrate social skills training into counseling interventions with adolescents to encourage authentic and effective interactions with others. We illustrate some therapeutic…

This survey research compares the structure and practices of 7 community studio art programs for artists with disabilities in Europe to 8 studio art therapy programs in the United States. Art therapy and disability arts literature was reviewed to establish a theoretical context for this project. A survey research method was used, with statistical…

The ability to attend to the human face is a striking and possibly characteristic deficit for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study collected and reviewed data on how people with ASD approach the drawing task and represent faces in particular. Drawings that were created by 25 children and adolescents with autism spectrum…

This article presents a theoretical and methodological framework for interactive dialogue and analysis of dream images in existential art therapy. In this phenomenological-existential approach, the client and art therapist are regarded as equal partners with respect to sharing in the process of creation and discovery of meaning (Frankl, 1955,…

This article describes a dynamic, short-term art therapy approach that has been developed for the treatment of trauma related disorders. Using a modified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) protocol with alternating tactile and auditory bilateral stimulation, associations are rapidly brought to conscious awareness and expressed in…

This study examined the efficacy of an adjunctive trauma-focused art therapy intervention in reducing chronic child posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in an inpatient psychiatric facility for youth. We compared 2 treatment conditions, each delivered in one 1-hour group sessions over 16 weeks: (a) a trauma-focused expressive art therapy…

This article presents the art therapist's engagement in responsive art making as an effective approach in working with an adolescent survivor of developmental trauma. Through a case study illustration, the art therapist's response art was effective in two main areas. First, in-session response art helped facilitate treatment goals in accordance…

Art therapy in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy reduces symptoms and enhances the potential for positive outcomes for sexually abused children in trauma-focused treatment. This article presents a treatment model that utilizes specific art therapy interventions to facilitate treatment, based on research on the effectiveness of combined…

With a new generation of American combat veterans returning from Iraq, the nation has an obligation to do everything possible to improve care for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although art therapy has been understudied in this context, it shows promise as a means of treating hard-to-treat symptoms of combat-related PTSD, such as avoidance…

Art has played a part in the helping professions since ancient times. In recent times, there has been renewed interest in the use of the arts in counseling, especially art forms that are considered "expressive." Counselors can help their clients develop their potential through concrete and abstract verbal and nonverbal art forms. To do…

Adults with mental retardation often grieve the loss of their loved ones. However, many times this grief goes unnoticed and individuals are never given the chance to express their grief and recover from the death of those close to them. This guide is designed for helping professionals, including therapists, clergy, nurses, psychologists, hospice…

This book is written for therapists and for students who are becoming therapists. It offers insights to artists, teachers, and others interested in exploring the power of expressive arts for growth and healing. It provides theoretical grounding and practical applications from the collective experience of the authors who share their own immersion…

This document begins by briefly outlining the problems of juveniles incarcerated in correctional institutions, including the problems of overcrowding and recidivism. It asserts that creative art therapy is designed to provide a therapeutic atmosphere for understanding and change and documents the use of creative art therapy techniques with…