This article presents a therapeutic framework to examine the continuum of creative destruction to transformation through altered book making. The rebuilding of a printed book parallels desired changes that bring individuals to art therapy, including concepts related to reframing, reforming, and reclaiming. The relationship between creative…

Ecotherapy-based experiences have been shown to provide multiple benefits such as improved cognitive functioning, increased overall well-being and improved mental and physical health. Few, if any studies have considered the benefits of providing these types of experiences for urban community college students. This pilot study introduces an eco-art…

The reach of art therapy in assisting a hospice patient in confronting existential issues at the end of life is illustrated in this article with a case that took place over the course of 22 semiweekly sessions. Painting with an art therapist allowed the patient to shift from a state of anxiety and existential dread to a more accepting, fluid…

Various mental-health professionals use drawings and other art in therapy, but relatively little has been written on the ethics surrounding this technique. Should artwork be viewed as equivalent to verbal communication? A variety of ethical issues including confidentiality, documentation, ownership, research, publication, and display of work are…

This guidebook is designed to help parents, teachers, day care professionals, nannies, and others in the childcare arena recognize signs of distress in children's drawings. The handbook is intended for those with little or no knowledge of art therapy. Information the book provides is a compilation of indicators that commonly appear in the drawings…

Examines the effects of wartime trauma on the artistic expression of 35 Bosnian and Croatian children, ages 4-12. Discusses their cognitive development in terms of the Intuitive-Symbolic and Concrete-Operative levels. Includes four examples of representative paintings. (MJP)

The essays in this collection are grounded in theoretical underpinnings which range from Freud to Montessori. The focus encompasses educational and psychiatric concerns. Essays are organized in 4 parts. Part 1, "Theory of Art Therapy," includes: (1) "Art Therapy: Problems of Definition" (Elinor Ulman); (2) "Therapy is Not Enough: The Contribution…

Highlights similarities and differences between the art making of normally developing and mentally retarded individuals. Defines pathological art as outsider art that can never be creative in the sense of relating to the artistic domain and engaging in a creative dialog with other artists that shape that domain. (MJP)

This guide describes how to use art media to explore and discover unique personal qualities. Structures and techniques, which can be used in therapy with individuals or growth-oriented groups, are suggested. The book is organized into 10 chapters and 4 parts. Part 1 outlines the theoretical basis for gestalt art experiences. Part 2 discusses the…

Using children's art works as examples, explores the role of form of expression in art education and therapy. Outlines research approaches that see self-development symbolisms operating in these forms. Presents results from a West German intercultural study on the development and structure of art expression that ties artistic expression to an…

Presents a series of pictures drawn by an autistic adult over a period of years. The pictures represent recollections of a day in his childhood. This representation is notable because of its consistent theme, as well as its reflection of the ability to reexperience and enjoy pleasant past memories. (MJP)

Reviews the work of neurobiologist, David Marr, concerning artistic ability and autism. Summarizes Marr's theory of perceptual vision illuminating the relationships among object, observer, perceptual process, and image. Briefly reviews the cases of four autistic people with extraordinary drawing skills. (MJP)