Armstrong, J and De Botton, A. (2016). Art as Therapy. London and New York: Phaidon Press.
This book teaches us about different ways of looking and how art can have a therapeutic influence on our lives. It offers a shift in perspective away from the more historic ways of looking at art. The chapters cover different areas of life including Love, Nature, Money, and Politics. They use several paintings as examples of how art can help us with difficulties in our everyday life. This book was relavent to my research as I went to several exhibitions this term, it helped me to think in new ways of looking at art. I use art as a sign system which helps me to explore different pieces and to learn more about myself. I also started looking at my own work in this way and I noticed hidden meanings which I had not noticed before. It feels like a less judgemental way of viewing art and has helped me to worry less about what the piece looks like aesthetically.
Winnicott, D.W. (1971). Playing and Reality. Devon, Tavistock Publications.
This book was a great introduction into Winnicott’s theories about the self and its relationship with the outside world. It introduces us to the importance of creativity at an early age, in our development and shows us art as a form of play. I enjoyed seeing some of his therapy pieces at the Play Well exhibition and it tied in well. The book influenced me on my placement also and in some of the embodied materials workshops we did. I also learnt about the ‘good enough’ mother mindset which took some pressure off wanting to be perfect whilst being in the learning process. It was also interesting to learn about ‘attachment theory’ in children. The book was written in a very clear and easy to understand way and I would like to read some more of his work.
Hollingsbee, E. (2019). ‘Tomorrow We Make it Better’: An Art Therapist’s Reflection on a Community Mural in a Refugee Camp in Greece, International Journal of Art Therapy, 24: 4 158-168, published online.
“This paper is an art therapist’s reflection on a community mural”, that was produced in a refugee camp in Greece. The piece examines the benefits of the art therapists work in the refugee community and how it can have a healing effect by bringing people together to create something as a group. It also examines the symbolism behind the piece that was created which I found interesting. In our Embodied Material’s workshop we had a lecture on this project also so it linked in well. I enjoyed reading this article and seeing it from Emily Hollingsbee’s perspective. Her style of writing is very clear and easy to understand.
Schaverien, J. (1999). The Revealing Image, Analytical Art Psychotherapy in Theory and Practice, London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
The book describes transference and countertransference and the role of art. “The central theme is the ways in which the natural healing potential of art within a therapeutic relationship is enhanced by attention to the transference/ countertransference dynamic”. The book bridges the gap between the practice of art therapy and analytical forms of psychotherapy. The book uses patients art work as examples which made it easier to understand. I found this book very useful and it gave me more depth to my learning.
Walker, R. (2019). The Art of Noticing: Rediscover What Really Matters to You. London, Ebury Publishing.
This book helps to train people to see the world through fresh eyes and to concentrate on things we might otherwise miss due to being distracted. I found this useful for my training as an art therapist as we have to learn to be good listeners and to notice things others may not. It gives readers 131 ways to do this through ways of looking, the senses, connecting with others, being alone and going to different places. It is playful, fun and gets its readers to go out and engage with the world. It is therapeutic in the way it forces people to be more present. It is also a good tool for the creative mind and as an artist. It talks about street artist’s which again reminds me of our Embodied Materials module; in which we went outside and looked at different environments, placed a postcard in the space and then photographed it and in so changing the space.
Greenhalgh, W.A. (2015) Mindfulness and the Art of Drawing: A Creative Path to Awareness, East Sussex, Leaping Hare Press.
I enjoyed reading this book and could relate to her way of thinking. She explains how drawing can change our state of mind. She compares mindfulness meditation to drawing and talks about how it makes us focus on the present, stops our mind wandering, becoming distracted and having a calming effect on us. She uses some good examples such as drawing in the mirror, drawing in pairs and drawing in nature. She talks about our inner critique and how to deal with it, Buddhism and our relationship to time. The book has inspired me to do more drawing in the new year.
Edwards, D. (2013) Art Therapy: Creative Therapies in Practice, London, Sage Publications.
The book is a good source of information for art therapists starting at the beginning of their journey. It covers many areas such as; what is art therapy? The history of art therapy and other useful information about the profession. It introduces the triangular relationship between art work, art therapist and client, as well as organisations that I need to know about such as The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT). It looks at case studies of how art therapy has helped individuals and talks about different mental health issues in patients. It also talks about different kinds of therapy and introduces Jung and Freud’s theories. It is a book which I will refer back to throughout the process of the course.
Hogan, S. (2015) Art Therapy Theories, A Critical Introduction, London, Routledge.
This book gives an in-depth analytical look into the different types of therapy available including Cognitive Behavioural Art Therapy, Psychoanalytical (Freudian) Art Therapy and Analytical (Jungian) Art Therapy as well as less known therapies such as Gestalt Art Therapy, Person-Centred or ‘Rogerian’ Art Therapy and Integrative Art Therapy (the Group-Interactive Model). The book is aimed at trainee art therapists and offers clear and concise explanations for each theory. I found the section on Analytical (Jungian) Art Therapy insightful and I am keen to learn more. He viewed art therapy as a healing process and a way of self-regulating. I like his idea of bringing symbolism into the conscious mind as part of the healing process. The unconscious mind holds the secrets which can be decoded. The chapter covers topics such as ‘active imagination’, ‘archetypes’ and ‘function types’.
Isserow, J. (2008) Looking Together: Joint Attention in Art Therapy, International Journal of Art Therapy, 13:1, 34-42, published online.
The paper is about how the patient and therapist look together at an art object and how in order for the therapy to be beneficial the patient needs to have the capacity to do this. It talks about the stages in early life, the development of the mother and child’s relationship, the infant looking at the mother which develops into them looking at objects together. It also talks about the problems that occur when ‘joint looking’ is not possible and talks about children with autism as well as blind children. It talks about the triangular relationship between art work, therapist and patient. I found it a good starting point for research into child development and art therapy.
Mills, E. & Kellington, S. (2012) Using Group Art Therapy to Address the Shame and Silencing Surrounding Children’s Experiences of Witnessing Domestic Violence. International Journal of Art Therapy, 17:1, 3-12, published online.
The piece talks about how victims of domestic abuse are effected and how it is linked to mental health problems or behavioural difficulties. The piece looks at a case study of an 11 year old girls engagement with an art therapy group for children who have witnessed domestic violence and the effect this has on her recovery. “The power of the art therapy group lies in its ability to witness in a very concrete, as well as meta- phorical way the truth of the children’s experiences”. (p10) The article offers insight into group work as well as a deeper understanding of children effected by domestic violence.
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