This study examined how a sample of art therapists (N = 14) describe their experience of therapeutic presence in the art therapy triangular relationship formed among the therapist, the client, and the artwork. Qualitative data were collected in semistructured interviews and analyzed using a grounded theory method. Component themes of therapeutic…

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the diversity of characteristics in the drawings of children in Mexico City. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of 174 drawings from children ages 6 to 11 that revealed two main discrete themes: nature and stress. A personalized, supportive relationship with nature emerged as a…

This article describes the healing benefits of art therapy for an individual with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. In this clinical case description, a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease received individual art therapy for 17 weeks. The treatment concerns that arose, altered view of reality, agitation, and retrogenesis provide insight on…

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2012) has identified one of the ways elementary school counselors can assist students to become successful in school is to offer small group counseling through the responsive services delivery system. Expressive arts, such as creating mandalas, provide a non-threatening approach for school…

Child social/emotional development and mitigation of child stress are receiving continued emphasis in the literature. While choice-based group art studios have a long association with mental health, documentation on their potential for supporting children is limited. This article describes an elementary school counseling intervention designed to…

For 25 years the Multicultural Committee of the American Art Therapy Association has provided education, networking, and mentoring activities for all art therapists, as well as support for art therapists of color. The formation of the committee demonstrates increasing cultural competence within the profession, and its continuation promises future…

The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) surveys its members biennially to collect data regarding membership demographics as well as variables concerning the work environment for art therapists. These surveys can provide a detailed description of these characteristics and how they may change over time. This article statistically compares the…

We evaluated changes in positive and negative affect of grieving children in response to art making compared to another noncreative, non-expressive, but engaging visuospatial task and assessed whether art making was equally or differentially effective in individual versus collaborative settings. We randomly assigned grieving children to one of…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of art therapy for teaching social skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The program we tested was structured to provide a therapeutic setting for children to discuss difficulties they experience in their social interactions, and give them…

The purpose of this study was to determine how trauma-informed approaches in an urban elementary school art room can foster empowerment in students who have been exposed to trauma and have developed Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders. I implemented a pedagogy focused on promoting empowerment through art making, then collected data on the…

This article describes a randomized, controlled trial (N = 38) that compared art therapy in conjunction with cognitive processing therapy (CPT) to CPT alone for veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Participants were randomized to either the experimental condition of 8 sessions of CPT and 8 sessions of individual art therapy…

This article explores research on clay manipulation art therapy for individuals with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). An overview of 3 phases of the authors' previous research includes (a) comparison of people living with PD to control in a single individual setting, (b) investigation of negative psychological symptoms in a single…

The relationship between learning and mental health, as well as a growing body of literature, underscores the need for art therapy in educational settings. This is particularly true for learners with special needs. Shostak et al. (1985) affirmed that "for children with special needs, art therapy in a school setting can offer opportunities to…

This article explores the role art therapy and collaboration can play in enhancing the day-to-day lives of older adults in nursing homes through zine making. Coauthored by an art therapist and four skilled nursing community members, the article is aimed at expanding the role of collaboration in art therapy practice. The authors explicate the…

Research suggests that the arts can have a positive impact on youth development, from birth through adolescence. This review explores recent research on arts-based programs and arts therapies. Programs were considered arts-based if at least one of the main components was an arts-related activity, or if there was a deliberate use of arts in the…