ABSTRACT
No matter what the age of the patient, there is value in both doing and reflecting in the visual arts. One of the ways in which art in therapy differs from art in other situations is that there is almost always some kind of reflection upon the art experience. Depending on the age of the patient(s) and the context of the work, it may be quite brief or fairly extensive, but it is an important component. It is more critical for those who see the art primarily as communication, and less central for those who value primarily the potential for sublimation through art. But even clinicians who subscribe to the art-as-therapy approach are interested in what people have to say about the experience and the products they create. Interviewing patients about either process or product seems to be the most difficult aspect of art therapy for the novice, whether dealing with an individual, a family, or a group.
