HEALINGWITHARTTHERAPY

HealingWithArtTherapy
BobbiJ.Deal
SaltLakeCommunityCollege

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Abstract
Arttherapyisaformofpsychotherapythathasbeeninpracticeforalmost75years.Although
thepracticeofusingartasaformoftherapyhasexistedlongbefore,itwasinthe1940sthatit
madeadistinctemergenceasaprofession.
Overtime,ithasbeenshownthatarttherapyhassuccessfullyaidedinthetreatmentofthose
withemotionalandmentaldisorders.Thisisnottobesaidthatarttherapyisanexactdiagnosis
ofapatient'sillness,butratherawindowintothesubconsciousmind.Thisinformationcanassist
atherapistinbetterunderstandingandtreatingthepatient.
Overtime,arttherapyhasbecomeamorecommonlypracticedprofession.Thisincludestheuse
ofarttherapybycounselors,socialworkers.Theuseofartinhelpingpatientsdealwithmany
differentemotionalandmentaldisordershasbeenanimportantpartofthedevelopmentin
humanisticpsychology.

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AccordingtoMerriamWebster,arttherapyisatherapybasedonengagementinartistic
activities(suchaspaintingordrawing)asameansofcreativeexpressionandsymbolic
communicationespeciallyinindividualsaffectedwithamentaloremotionaldisorder.1
ArttherapyhasbeenpracticedsincetheearlydaysofNativeAmericans,however,itwas
notrecognizedasaprofessionuntilthe1940s.2Itwasduringthistimethatthepsychology
communityrealizedtheeffectivenessthepracticehadinaidinginthetreatmentofthosewith
emotionalormentaldisorders.Ithasbeenusedintreatmentofchildren,abusevictims,
depression,addicts,andthosesufferingfromPTSD.Thekeybetweenartandthemindis
fascinating.
ArttherapyisnotprimarilyFreudianorpsychoanalyticallybased.Arttherapyusessome
ofthetheoriesdevelopedbyFreudthataddressthesubconscious.ItwasCarlJungwhowasone
ofthepioneersofarttherapy.AlthoughFreudrecognizedthatpatientsexpressednotbeingable
toverbalizetheirdreams,butsuggestingtheycouldpossibledrawthem,itwasJungthat
encouragedhispatientstovisuallyexpresswhattheydreamed.Jung,acreatorofarthimself,
believedinamorespiritualideaofthepersonality.Hewasquotedassaying,Topaintwhatwe
seebeforeusisadifferentartfrompaintingwhatweseewithin3
Anotherpsychologistthatisrecognizedoftenasthemotherofarttherapy,is
MargaretNaumberg.Shegavenotabilitytotheprofessionin1940byidentifyingherworkas
dynamicallyorientedarttherapy.HerapproachwasthatofFreudandsheviewedArtTherapy
1

MerriamWebster
AmericanArtTherapyAssociation
3
TheModernHistoryofArtTherapyintheUnitedStates,page1011
2

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asadistinctiveformofpsychotherapy.Sheinsistedthatitwasthepersonthatcouldonlytruly
interpretthemeaningoftheirownart.4
EdithKramer,anotherpioneerofAmericanArtTherapy,workedcloselywithNaumberg.
Kramerpracticedarttherapy,oftenfocusingonchildren.Shecombinedthatofartteaching,with
arttherapy,inordertoteachchildrentocopewithadolescentemotions.Sheisquotedassaying,
Children'sartflourishesbestwhenadultssupporttheirnaturalinclinationforthesymbolic
livinginart.Imaginativeplayandsocialplayunfoldedbestwhenchildrenwereleftto
themselves.Thussupportingtheideathatartwaskeytothenaturaldevelopmentofachild.5
Peopleacrossthecountrybecameinterestedinthevisualartsandpsychology.
Psychologistcametofindthattheimagescreatedbytheirpatients,couldbeusedasdiagnostic
revelationsoftheunconsciouswhichtheyclaimedmanifestedvisuallydeepportionsofthe
humanpersonality.6
EvenlookingattheexampleofTheRorschachInkblotTestandtheTheThematic
ApperceptionTests(TAT),giveagoodexampletotheintegrationofartintotherapypractices.
Althoughdifferentapplicationsarerequired,theystillusethesubconsciousideasthatapatient
seesinanimageorcreationofastorybasedonanimage.7
WhenlookingatArtTherapyincomparisontoartpsychotherapy,Naumbergbelieved
thattheartcouldbeusedtocapturehintsofthesubconsciousmind.Otherpsychologists,suchas
Kramerbelieveditwastheprocessofcreatingtheartwhichwasthetherapy.

TheModernHistoryofArtTherapyintheUnitedStates,page18
Art,ArtTherapy,andtheSeductiveEnvironment
6
TheModernHistoryofArtTherapyintheUnitedStates,page17
7
TheModernHistoryofArtTherapyintheUnitedStates,page16
5

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ArtTherapyhasmuchevolvedovertheyears.Withmanypsychologistcontributingto
thefield,itisfullyrecognizedbythecommunityasausefultool.OnemustobtainaMasters
degreenowinorderqualifyforthelicenseasanarttherapist.Theuseofthesetoolsisalso
utilizedbyteachers,socialworkers,andcounselors.ArtTherapyisawindowintothe
subconscious.Itallowsprofessionalstodiagnoseandassistintreatmentofmanymentaland
emotionaldisorders.Itwillonlyevolvefurtherovertime.

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References
"AATAAboutUs."AATAAboutUs.AmericanArtTherapyAssociation,n.d.Web.01Dec.
2014.
"ArtTherapy."MerriamWebster.MerriamWebster,n.d.Web.01Dec.2014.
Junge,MaxineBorowsky.(2010).TheModernHistoryofArtTherapyintheUnitedStates.
Springfield,IL:CharlesC.Thomas,
Williams,K.J.,Kramer,E.,&Henley,D.R.(1997).Art,arttherapy,andtheseductive
environment.AmericanJournalOfArtTherapy,35106117.

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