Art materials created by and used within cultures with implicit racial bias can exemplify and perpetuate that bias. An art material named for skin color perpetuates the normalization and prioritization of one skin color. This viewpoint details how one White art therapist educator dealt with a sand-colored paint labeled "flesh," which…

The Compassionate Arts Psychotherapy (CAP) program integrates self-compassion and arts psychotherapy practices, which are informed by a compassionate arts media (CAM) continuum. A mixed methods pilot program evaluation with a pretest-posttest single group design, followed by an open-ended survey, was conducted. Participants included 18 graduate…

Questioning whether the hierarchy of evidence is a good fit for the art therapy profession furthers the scholarly climate of art therapy research practices. Contemporary art therapy research practices are reviewed in 8 notable areas: effectiveness, salience, functionality, appropriateness, safeness, cost-effectiveness, program satisfaction, and…

This article presents a sensory-based relational art therapy approach (S-BRATA) framework for working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that explicitly addresses sensory integration dysfunction (SID) and impaired attachment. Developed based on three case studies and rooted in grounded theory methodology, the study resulted in seven…

Due to shifting standards in art therapy education and licensure an examination of how educators are preparing students for professional practice is warranted. This Delphi study used the framework of signature pedagogies to identify discipline-specific methods used by art therapy educators to teach students how to think, practice, and develop the…

The globalization of art therapy requires a high level of multicultural competence among art therapists for ethical practice, which includes understanding the traditional materials of the client's culture. However, the common materials used in art therapy remain mostly Western, which neglects the therapeutic value of art materials from outside the…

There is a growing understanding for the integration of art therapy into hospital settings. This viewpoint explores a newly introduced art therapy program at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Launched with private funding, the success of the program has been predicated on communicating the importance of art materials and studio…

This study tested 2 hypotheses: (a) tactile experience is critical to the effect of creation of clay work in enhancing psychological well-being, and (b) sense of temperature is one of the mediating factors that underlies the effectiveness of tactile experience. Using an experimental research design, 36 Chinese adult participants created clay work…

This study explores the subjective experience of art therapists who work with bereaved clients. Eight art therapists were given an art-based task and completed a semistructured interview. Qualitative analysis revealed 3 themes conceived in axes: (a) facilitating emotional expressiveness and control, (b) fluctuating between presence and absence of…

College students are exposed to daily stressors throughout their academic careers, which can have lasting consequences to their health and well-being. Mindfulness practices, art therapy, and the simple act of manipulating clay have independently demonstrated positive effects on stress and anxiety, but there is little research on the feasibility of…

This study compared the effects of 4 different coloring activities on state anxiety scores to determine whether adult coloring books are as effective as other coloring activities in reducing anxiety. Participants were 160 undergraduates attending a private, Christian, liberal arts university. After engaging in an anxiety induction activity,…

In this study, we examined the relationships between the attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance and participant reactions to using a range of art materials typically employed in art therapy. Participants (N = 409) engaged in art making with one of five materials: markers, oil pastels, gouache paint, finger paint, or clay. It was expected…

This article describes a 10-session group art therapy program for people with physical and neurological disabilities. This program, the DIS-ART Creative Journey, was adapted from the Creative Journey used with cancer patients, and was tested in Italy by 4 art therapists. The 5-step structure of each session and the 10 facilitating techniques used…

In this article I weave together the relevance of narrative textile work in therapeutic and human rights contexts; showcase Common Threads, an international nonprofit that uses story cloths with survivors of gender-based violence; outline a master's level art therapy course in story cloths; and relate how textiles helped build a sibling…

School counselors are charged with meeting the academic and personal/social needs of all students. Aggression can have a significantly negative effect on both areas in the school environment. It is imperative that these aspects are addressed in culturally and developmentally appropriate ways. Creative approaches based in play and art can be…