ABSTRACT
The concept of the arts therapies as a discipline is relatively new. The roots can be found in the continual and ever-changing relationship between culture, artistic activity, and societal development. Many writers, such as R. Con Davis and R. Schleifer, suggest that the arts and society are inextricably linked, and that the health of a society is reflected in the pool of artistic activity that a society creates. The arts have a history that plays different roles in different historical settings, and so the very process of creating art also has a history that is closely connected to the value imputed to “literature”—the value of literacy. The arts have long been used as a natural form of healing, allowing the individual’s images to be extended and energized so that he or she gains new power. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
