I describe an approach to art therapy treatment for survivors of traumatic brain injury developed at a rehabilitation facility for adults that serves inpatient, outpatient, and long-term residential clients. This approach is based on a review of the literature on traumatic brain injury, comprehensive neurorehabilitation, brain plasticity, and art…

By combining museum education with art therapy, museums can make significant contributions to healthcare. The Creative Aging program at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., unites these fields, using artworks and art-making as catalysts to explore feelings, invite self-exploration, and build community. The program fosters an interest in…

This article describes the use of collaborative fabric collage based on a neurodevelopmental adaptation for an adult who was being treated for trauma. The case demonstrates the value of thinking about neurodevelopmental factors when creating art therapy interventions. A biologically respectful treatment that offers relational, relevant,…

Punk culture is based on an ideology that emphasizes questioning conformity and creating a space for individuality within community. It has inspired fans to create their own music and art as part of their quest for authenticity. Art therapy informed by punk culture can be a way to create a culture of connection while also building resiliency and…

Art therapy master's programs are required to include research coursework in their curriculum; however, they differ in content and types of required projects. Students encouraged to conduct studies that increase the evidence base of art therapy may struggle to do so. This article describes a research collaboration that allowed a master's level…

Organizational scholars and neuroscientists suggest that when people are more emotionally engaged, they learn more effectively. Clinical art therapists suggest that the experience as well as the expression of emotions can be enabled or constrained by different materials. So then, what materials can be employed by management educators to achieve…

Asthma is a common, chronic respiratory disease that can be costly to both society and the individual. In addition to increased absenteeism, children with asthma may also be at a greater risk for developing comorbid anxiety and depression. Various complementary psychological treatments have been effective at reducing both asthmatic symptoms and…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Research Center is a government facility that has a long history of groundbreaking research. Art therapy research began at NIH in 1958 with Hanna Kwiatkowska, whose work contributed to the foundation of art therapy with families, and with Harriet Wadeson, who conducted psychodynamic art therapy…

This article describes an art-based inquiry that explored two contemplative strategies--the conceptual strategy and the awareness strategy--through observation of art images and processes of creation, conceptual understanding, assessment, and the inner movements of self-awareness. Art media and directives were used to subjectively test key…

Art classes are often sites for students with academic, social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems. Some school administrators and counselors recognize the benefits of art education and place students at-risk in art education classes. Most often art therapy is not part of coursework within art education programs, so K-12 educators have minimal…

This viewpoint presents a reflection on a meaningful relationship that developed between a university art education department and a local art therapy studio. Such partnerships are desirable and mutually beneficial because of the significant interest many art educators have in the field of art therapy. The author, an art educator, describes the…

In this article, we use a disability studies lens to examine ways in which the artworks of disabled people are bonded in a common sociopolitical experience. We analyze the history surrounding institutional art and the emergence of community art centers at the time of deinstitutionalization in the late 20th century. As a result of this…

As a growing movement in the larger field of mental health, positive psychology has much to offer the art therapy profession, which in turn is uniquely poised to contribute to the study of optimal functioning. This article discusses the relationship of positive psychology to art therapy and its capacity to mobilize client strengths, to induce…

Distance supervision (or "telesupervision") is a significant and growing trend in health care professions, but it requires advanced planning, ongoing discussion, and investment in technology by both parties in order to be an effective and ethical alternative to traditional face-to-face supervision. This viewpoint presents the perspectives of two…

A student's lack of belief in his or her own ability to do well in school can be a driving component of disengagement. In response, the author created art activities aimed to build students' confidence in their ability to learn, carry out a given art task, and identify a competence; such asset-based thinking approaches encourage students to reach…