ABSTRACT
The claim of this book is that art therapy must base itself clearly within theoretical frames. While theory is never absolute truth, it is a vital and evolving set of ideas about how to make the pain of living in the world more bearable. It is a set of assumptions about what is a problem, and what is a solution, at a given place and time in history. Each psychological theory – dynamic, object relations, ego psychology, humanistic, existential, gestalt, narrative mind-body, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), systemic empowerment, social change, and cultural theories, to name a few – has a conception of what is a problem, what is a solution, and what is the role of art in relation to the theory of therapy. This provides a base for understanding the relationship of art to therapy, and for understanding how to use art within therapy. Theory defi nes the role of art within art therapy as inherent, rather than as randomly based on the techniques the therapist likes most, or what worked best with the last client, or on general ‘recipes’ according to generalizations about the client type, or the problem type. A theoretical understanding of how art is conceptualized within each theory enables it to be used coherently and professionally, as well as in the most fl exible manner, because the core assumptions of the theory can be translated in many ways, while still creating unity between the therapeutic contract, setting, evaluation, supervision, and art use, that all correlate through the basic assumptions of the theory. This enables the art therapist to be
more professional, not because they are more insightful or sensitive than the client, or because art is inherently healing (otherwise all artists would be healthy), but because they are professionals following a theoretical frame that makes sense of the client’s problem and solution, and of how art can help reach this solution. This book will show that, paradoxically, taking time to weave theory more inherently into art therapy is not limiting to creativity, but rather enables a broader and more fl exible base for art within therapy.
