ABSTRACT
In mental health care in the UK, the four arts therapies – art psychotherapy, dance movement psychotherapy, dramatherapy and music therapy – have developed a distinct place among other psychological therapies as evidence-based and highly valued interventions with service users. Combining psychotherapeutic techniques with activity aimed at promoting creative expression, the arts therapies can provide a bridge to verbal dialogue. Each of the arts therapies has nonverbal interaction at the core of its approach for facilitating the expression of emotions through creative activity. In focusing treatment directly on relational and interpersonal understanding, the use of groups and group work within the arts therapies is widespread. There is growing evidence for the use of groups in the arts therapies in both acute and community mental health settings. In arts therapies groups, the unconscious emotional life of the group is held in the core visuality, musicality, and physicality of the group's image, music and movement-driven narrative.
