ABSTRACT
The art therapy department consisted of three rooms: one in which patients could use a wide variety of materials, one small room contained a kiln which was in constant use, and the large room operated as a studio. It was usual practice for the art therapists to make their own artwork. Nowadays, art therapists differ on this issue: some feel that if the therapist is engaged in their own image-making, others that the therapist can make statements visually about the group process as well as verbally. It was a time of great insecurity in the centre as it had been threatened with closure once again and there were many disagreements among staff as to treatment policy. It was not surprising, then, that patients felt vulnerable and wanted to engage in a 'safe' activity. The group was divided into those who wanted to make moulds and do slip casting and those who wanted to continue with their own image-making.
