Explores the role of children's religious and spiritual beliefs in pediatric medicine and healing. Also explores cultural variables, methods for addressing religious and spiritual concerns in treatment, and the importance of the therapist's own religious and spiritual sensitivity. Discusses how art therapy can help bridge the gap between medical…

Considers the question of whether art therapy is an idea or a profession. Presents a brief overview of professions, the benefits and consequences of professions, challenges facing the profession of art therapy, and ideas for the future. Discusses service learning as a way of helping students become concerned about making a difference. (Contains 20…

Describes the results of a workshop with two groups of art therapists who met to gain a better understanding of the knowledge base of art therapy and professional identity, and the importance of including prescribed content area in curricula. Attempts to offer valuable perspectives by including both art therapy educators and practitioners.…

Discusses how the art experiential is the central technique of art therapy, making it different from other therapeutic approaches. Uses the authors' personal experiences with mask-making in clinical and training settings to illustrate ideas about selecting particular art experiences. (Contains 31 references.) (GCP)

Recommends that art therapists inform themselves about the many art-and-healing activities available throughout the country and interact in useful ways for the profession. Urges therapists to claim their role as artists by entering the art world more actively through writing in art journals, speaking at art forums, and increasing the number of…

Examines four factors that may cause art therapists to reject the scientific method. Gives an overview of historical developments in science to provide a background for a discussion of each factor. Includes material from anthropology, psychoanalysis, and alternative health care. Offers suggestions for training art therapists in scientific…

Presents an ethnographic model of art therapy results. The model requires the researcher to approach informants who are in art therapy as an anthropologist entering another culture. Describes basic principles of the ethnographic model. Introduces the concept of disability culture and concludes with recommendations for art therapists wishing to use…

Provides an overview of the three major philosophical debates regarding art therapy research: qualitative or quantitative research, integration, and teaching research. Presents thoughts about art therapy research based on the author's experience as an educator of art therapy research. (MKA)

Defines the heuristic model of research. Offers a comparison among phenomenology, hermeneutics, and heuristics in research methodologies. Describes the stages of heuristic research and addresses the potential contributions of this model to the field of art therapy and the personal and professional growth of the art therapist. (MKA)

Surveyed art therapy literature available on computer databases to assess the literary activity of registered art therapists along with other mental health professionals between the years 1983 and 1993. Computer databases were selected as the source of gathering information because they offer a wide and varied audience accessibility to a vast…

Presents the "Dimensions of Service" model as a tool for examining where, how, and why art therapists offer services. Outlines 10 aspects central to art therapy practice (context, nomenclature, realm of need, role, conceptual model, purpose, level of function, length of contact, age range, and groupings) with reflections of their potential impact…

Every other year for the past eight years, the American Art Therapy Association, Inc. (AATA) has surveyed its members to obtain demographics, job and salary information, and areas of specialization. The 1994-95 membership survey focused additionally on licensure and training issues. Results are presented to illuminate the art therapy profession…

Therapist's role and dilemmas faced in treating a gender dysphoric client are discussed. Examines ethical and moral issues relating to transsexualism and discusses the appropriateness of art therapy as a treatment for transsexual clients. (SNR)

Identifies and describes "clinification syndrome," process where art therapists gradually cease making art as clinical skills become primary career focus. Sees priorities of training programs and policies of American Art Therapy Association as contributing to this trend. Offers suggestions to anchor art therapy students and beginning professionals…

Notes that ethical concerns of helping professionals focus on issues related to supervision and training of interns and that Committee on Ethical and Professional Practices of art therapy profession has received complaints from interns concerning their supervisors. Examines nature of supervisory relationship and roles of participating members as…