ABSTRACT
Ceramics has gained worldwide recognition as an effective therapeutic medium that can be used to promote health and well-being in many different settings and with diverse user groups. This has been particularly effective in the area of mental health, reducing the somatic symptoms of people with disabilities, and improving their spatial thinking and self-esteem. Clay is also being used with children as a means of self-expression. In spite of the potentially broad impact of creative practice with clay—not only on individual well-being, but on the groups and communities in which this work is located—most research in this area has tended to adopt an individualized approach and a primary concern with mental health issues. This chapter extends the concept of mental health recovery beyond individual clients to include those who work with them and the groups and communities in which they are located, thus integrating strategies and understandings that have previously been separated. It sets out the potential for mutual recovery in clay work.
