Relation of an art therapist's personal story concerning her struggle to overcome endometriosis, and how her artwork has played a vital role in coping with the disease. Illustrated with a chronology of artwork produced during a bout with the illness. (JPS)

On September 12, 2001, the Techniques in Art Therapy class in the art therapy program at Albertus Magnus College met at its normal Wednesday evening time. This article describes the class session through the words and images of several class members who found the class useful in their own process of beginning to deal with the attacks and their…

Being culturally sensitive to African American clients dictates that therapists understand the bond among blacks of various social-ecological backgrounds. Discusses some of the fundamental distinctions between African Americans and black West Indian clients, including differences in familial relationships, nuances of language usage, and the…

Discusses the use of art as a means of marking space and as evidence of existence, and presents a philosophy of art and art therapy. The making of marks, present in all human beings from an early developmental stage, is the source of the artmaking behavior. (JPS)

The 25th anniversary of the American Art Therapy Association marked the introduction of a new ethics document for art therapists. The issue of what to do with client-made art is one of the most confusing and controversial. The new Ethical Standards for Art Therapists solve some problems, but not others. Encourages more professional discussion of…

Recounts personal experiences concerning art therapy as both a lymphoma patient and an artist. A few selections from two periods in the hospital illustrate physical and emotional pain. (JPS)

Illustrates the relationship between art therapy, spirituality, and recovery supported by the philosophy of Alcoholic Anonymous, and offers a model in which art therapy can be used in treatment programs to facilitate spiritual recovery from addiction. Discusses personal experiences related to the use of art therapy for assisting in addiction…

Describes the knowledge, skills, and training required of an art therapist and suggests how career education for art therapy may begin in the elementary/ secondary grades, before the formal university program. This article is part of a theme issue on career education in art. (SJL)

Records the responses of various members of the American Art Therapy Association to questions of the future direction of art therapy. The history of art as a communal experience in which all members of society participate is being lost, and the emphasis on therapy is minimizing the importance of artmaking. (JPS)

A therapist recounts her experiences working in a large AIDS long-term care facility in New York City, and the value of art therapy in helping infected people deal with the unpredictable effects of the virus. (JPS)

Argues that poetry therapy is similar to the other creative arts therapies in its use of creative processes and products, and in its intrinsic positiveness, gentle indirectness, and breadth of appeal and application. Suggests that collaborative research efforts among creative arts therapists can lead to new understandings of the processes and…

Suggests that one of the major reasons that art therapists are not as highly regarded as other mental health professionals is a paucity of quantitative research data, a result of both a lack of orientation and professional training. Includes responses by Harriet Wadeson and Robert Wolf. (JPS)

The connections between art therapy and the teaching of writing are many. The process of art therapy is essentially art making followed by talk--a process that parallels the process of writing and reflecting about writing that is encouraged in writing classrooms. It is a process aimed at self discovery and consciousness, whether in a writing…

Recounts experiences with art therapy as utilized by the staff of an AIDS and HIV-infection research clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, to deal with their own anxiety and depression about dealing with the disease. The staff art program began due to the efforts of the director's sensitivity to the possibility of burnout among the staff. (JPS)

The space in which art is made has long been considered a potent force that impacts the form and content of an artist's expression. The studio constitutes the initial and perhaps most impressionable experience of the art therapy process. The therapist must adapt the space to suit clients' needs taking a proactive stance to requisition resources…