ABSTRACT
The first step is setting the stage for the art therapy encounter. But before art therapy can occur anywhere, there must have been some prior groundwork, which involved getting the agency to a point where it was willing to support the work of an art therapist. In dealing with institutions, it is necessary to think, as one does with families or groups, in terms of the entire system. Entering a system and harnessing its energies in a way that is conducive to the growth and development of an art therapy program require more than tact and knowledge about art therapy. As in working with a family, it helps immensely if the art therapist can look intelligently at personnel and program in a larger context, which means knowing systems analysis. When one is able to identify the values and the power structure of an institution, one can then develop a plan for moving in the desired direction. As with the assessment of individuals and families, both a historical (developmental) and a dynamic perspective are useful ways to conceptualize any social system, such as a hospital or school.
