The handbook of art therapy Art therapy is now an established profession in its own right and its practitioners have to undergo a rigorous course of training. This handbook is designed to appeal to people thinking of becoming therapists and to all who need to know about art therapy in different settings. It concentrates on what art therapists actually do, where they practise, and how and why art and therapy can combine to aid a person’s search for health and understanding of their underlying problems. The authors, who are both experienced in teaching and practising art therapy, build up a picture for the reader of the development of the profession to its present status. Using first-hand accounts of the experience of art therapy from both therapists and patients, they cover such aspects as the influence of psycho-dynamic thinking, the role of the image in the art process, and the setting in which the art therapist works. They also focus on art therapists themselves, their practice, background and training. A select bibliography gives an excellent idea of the current literature on art therapy and related subjects, and there is a glossary of psychoanalytic terms. Straightforward and firmly rooted in practice, The Handbook of Art Therapy will be invaluable not only as an introduction to the profession but also as a reference for students of art therapy both during and after their training. Tessa Dalley works as an art therapist at a consultation and therapeutic centre for children and adults in London and as a tutor at Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. Caroline Case works as an art therapist in Scotland in an educational and respite care project with children and also in private practice. The handbook of art therapy Caroline Case and Tessa Dalley HOVE AND NEW YORK First published 1992 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Brunner-Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis group © 1992 Caroline Case and Tessa Dalley All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 0-203-35910-0 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-37166-6 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-04381-6 (Print Edition) Contents List of illustrations v Foreword vii 1 Introduction 1 2 The art therapy room 19 3 The therapy in art therapy 49 4 Art and psychoanalysis 69 5 The image in art therapy 95 6 Development of psychoanalytic understanding 117 7 The art therapist 143 8 Art therapy with individual clients 175 9 Working with groups in art therapy 191 Bibliography 233 Glossary 239 British Association of Art Therapists 251 Name index 255 Subject index 259 Illustrations PLATES 1 First castle, second castle, third castle 2 (a)-(i) Red, black and yellow sequence 3 Mother 4 Elephant princess 5 Bill ‘n’ Bob 6 Abstract pattern 7 (a)-(h) Windmills 8 Rosie: Forest Rosie: Me Rosie: Therapist Rosie: Rabbit FIGURES 2.1 The art therapy room, St Mary’s School for Children with 21 Special Needs, Bexhill-on-Sea 2.2 The art therapy room, Leytonstone House, London 26 2.3 The art therapy room, St Thomas’s Hospital, London 33 2.4 The art therapy room, Bloomfield Clinic, London 39 2.5 The art therapy room, Hill End Hospital, St Albans 42 5.1 Stencil 99 5.2 Finger paints 101 5.3 Death’s Head mask 102 5.4 Nuns 106 5.5 Divorce 109 5.6 (a)-(f) Isolation, degradation, despair… 112 7.1 A tree, a nest, and three birds 158 7.2 Group therapy interaction chronogram 160 7.3 Mapping the progress of group members 161 7.4 Recording the work of three children and the therapist 162 9.1 (a)-(f) Six group pictures: (a) Abdul, (b) Colin, (c) Graham, (d) Susie, 200 (e) Jane, (f) Georgina vi 9.2 (a)-(h) ‘Draw Yourself as a Tree’ 214 9.3 Imran’s clay soldier 224 Foreword This book is entitled Handbook of Art Therapy to give a clear account of the theory and practice of art therapy. It is not designed to instruct a person to be an art therapist, and anyone reading this book will be advised against thinking that it is a ‘manual’ for practice. The purpose of the book, however, is to give clear guidelines and a detailed understanding of how art therapy is practised and the theory on which this practice is based. Hopefully, this will be useful for people interested in all aspects of art and therapy and perhaps encourage some people to embark on training courses essential for becoming an art therapist. Throughout the book, both client and therapist will be referred to generally as ‘she’ except where a specific example is being described. This is because the majority of art therapists are women, and most clients who are in therapy are also women. Also, we have chosen to use the word ‘client’ to describe the person in treatment with the ‘therapist’ but this can be interchangeable with ‘patient’, ‘resident’, ‘member’ and does not imply any difference in the approach although it might reflect some difference in the treatment setting. We would like to acknowledge our clients, who have so extensively informed our experience, and also the help of our colleagues, who have made several contributions throughout the book. By working with us and giving generously of their time in describing their particular experience, we feel that this has enabled the text to become ‘alive’ and relate to real circumstances, and has considerably enhanced the quality of the book. Also, our thanks go to our long-suffering families whose help and support are actually immeasurable. viii Chapter 1 Introduction DEFINITION Art therapy involves the use of different art media through which a patient can express and work through the issues and concerns that have brought him or her into therapy. The therapist and client are in partnership in trying to understand the art process and product of the session. For many clients it is easier to relate to the therapist through the art object which, as a personal statement, provides a focus for discussion, analysis and self-evaluation. As it is concrete, it acts as a record of the therapeutic process that cannot be denied, erased or forgotten and offers possibilities for reflection in the future. The transference that develops within the relationship between therapist and client also extends to the art work, giving a valuable ‘third dimension’ or three-way communication. As the practice of art therapy has become established within the firm base of psychotherapeutic principles, there is a current wish to call the profession ‘Art Psychotherapy’. Some people feel that this term describes our work more accurately, but as this has not yet been officially agreed, and remains under debate within the professional association, we shall refer to the practice as ‘art therapy’ throughout the text. We are hoping to introduce the notion of a ‘standard’ practice of art therapy based on the training and experience of art therapists—that is, a qualified professional who meets the required basic standards of acceptable practice as outlined by the British Association of Art Therapists. As will be seen in the text, the approaches and orientations of art therapists vary enormously, particularly in relation to the client group with whom they are working, and it is not possible to cover detailed aspects of all of these. (For this detailed information, see Waller and Gilroy 1992.) THE HANDBOOK This handbook is designed to introduce the reader to both the theory and practice of art therapy by initially describing different work settings to enable some imagination of the situations in which art therapists work. By putting the nature of the work in context, the scene is set for the next four chapters which discuss