This article presents the art therapist's engagement in responsive art making as an effective approach in working with an adolescent survivor of developmental trauma. Through a case study illustration, the art therapist's response art was effective in two main areas. First, in-session response art helped facilitate treatment goals in accordance…

There are many social, cultural, and biological factors that contribute to the construction of masculine identity. These factors are investigated in this article from the personal perspective of a male practitioner and educator with 25 years of experience in a field that is predominantly composed of women. An amalgamation of attributes necessary…

This inquiry examines the strengths of male art therapists and art therapy students using the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) survey that measures character strengths. Among this sample of 21 men, two signature strengths emerged most often and had the highest total scores: "curiosity and interest in the world" and "appreciation of…

The premise of this paper is that computer-generated art is a valid therapeutic modality for empowering clients and fostering the therapeutic alliance. The author presents traditional art making methods (drawing, painting, photography, collage, and sculpture) combined or enhanced with photopaint programs and 3D computer modeling and animation…

In this brief report, two examples are presented of self-portraits spontaneously produced by chemically dependent patients who participated in art therapy while in an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital. The author concludes that self-portraits provide true-to-life representations of the diseased aspects of the self and enable patients to…

This article describes the clinical practice of two male art therapists and their work with male adolescent sex offenders in a residential treatment facility. The authors share experiences of working with clients who, in addition to being offenders, were diagnosed with a mental illness and were themselves victims of sexual abuse. The function of…

The questions in this survey were designed to solicit concrete data as well as more speculative information from men who work in an art therapy capacity. The results presented in this brief report provide a picture of how these men perceive the field of art therapy as a minority group within it. A variety of factors addressed included, but were…

This article examines how altered books can be used in art therapy with adolescents. An altered book is a published book that has been changed into a new work of visual art through various art processes such as painting, drawing, collage, writing, and embellishment. Books are discussed as an art canvas on which to provide stimulation, structure,…

Men as a discrete subject group and the gender-based nuances of their visual expression is a relatively unexplored art therapy research topic. The author describes a study designed to investigate the lived experience of a male subject in communicating about an episode of major depression, through both verbal communication and associations to…

Treatment and diagnosis for the pediatric form of bipolar disorder presents a clinical challenge given the differences from its adult counterpart and the various comorbid forms that complicate presentation and developmental course. This article discusses manifestations of early onset bipolar disorder and offers a method for implementing art…

This qualitative study explored the verbal and art making responses of Japanese-American elders who experienced the trauma of internment during World War II. Six Nisei (second generation Japanese-Americans) were asked to recall memories of their experiences during and immediately following internment; 3 of the participants also created art images…

This brief report discusses the relevance of postmodern art to contemporary art therapy practice. Postmodernism is defined by art that breaks or blurs the boundaries between product and process, individual and group creation, and artist and viewer. A discussion of contemporary artists who use a postmodern framework, including Anselm Kiefer, Jenny…

This paper examines how the personal qualifications required to practice art therapy can be integrated into the American Art Therapy Association Education Standards. A review of current and historical documents demonstrates the importance of personal qualifications of art therapists. The author proposes a link between education standards and…

Art therapists have long held that art production causes reductions in stress and elevations in mood (Rubin, 1999). The authors examined this claim in a randomized, controlled trial. Fifty adults between the ages of 18 and 30 were randomly assigned to either create an art work or to view and sort a series of art prints. Three measures of overall…

This brief report examines the benefits of a creative art therapy group program for outpatients suffering from psychiatric disorders. Included is a review of relevant treatment outcomes literature on the effectiveness of group art therapy. The authors describe the Creative Art Therapy Group Program offered to adult psychiatric outpatients that is…