Dafna Regev

The Phenomenological Approach to Art Therapy

The present paper discusses the phenomenological approach to art-therapy and suggests an operational terminology for its main theoretical concepts. First we present the general assumptions that underline art therapy. Definitions, leading approaches, and the therapeutic effect of artwork are considered. Next we indicate the need for relevant and particular theories of art therapy. Phenomenological theory is examined as a case in point because of its popularity among art therapists. Despite its philosophical appeal, however, we find phenomenological theory lacking the operational terminology that is essential to form a coherent and distinct school of therapy. In the present paper, we extract from phenomenological theory operational principles, which can be followed and applied by art therapists. In this analysis, we take into consideration Betenskys pioneer attempt to create the bridge between phenomenological theory as applied in verbal psychotherapy and art therapy. We end by discussing the urgent need to operationalize other verbal psychotherapeutic theories so they are relevant for art-therapy practice and may help create greater similarities among art therapists of the same school of psychotherapy.

Expanding Art Therapy Process Research Through Self-Report Questionnaires

Abstract This viewpoint offers an additional perspective on the study of creative processes in art therapy by emphasizing the importance of examining client and therapist reactions to art therapy sessions. In particular the use of self-report questionnaires as a tool for such examination is suggested. Despite their limitations, self-report questionnaires document client perceptions of direct experiences that can shed light on important questions and confirm or disconfirm theoretical aspects that are assumed to be effective in art therapy.

Relationships Between Attachment Avoidance and Anxiety and Responses to Art Materials

Abstract In this study, we examined the relationships between the attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance and participant reactions to using a range of art materials typically employed in art therapy. Participants (N = 409) engaged in art making with one of five materials: markers, oil pastels, gouache paint, finger paint, or clay. It was expected that a correlation would be found between the attachment dimensions and an individuals response to one of the different materials, and that these correlations would differ by gender. The findings indicate that the higher the score on the avoidance dimension, the more negative was an individuals response to the art material. This pattern was particularly evident in responses to working with oil pastels, gouache paint, and finger paint. Most of the correlations were found exclusively for women.

Supervisors’ perceptions of art therapy in the Israeli education system

ABSTRACT Art therapy has considerable advantages when treating children, and is regularly made available as a form of therapy in schools. In Israel, the Ministry of Education is now the largest employer of art therapists, but the synergy between the education system and therapy is challenging and complex. This study examined supervisors’ perceptions of the role of art therapy in the school system. Fifteen interviews were conducted with art therapy supervisors employed by the Ministry of Education using Hill’s Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) analysis method (2012). Four primary domains emerged from the findings as formulated by the supervisors: (1) The benefits of using art therapy in the school system; (2) The difficulties arising from the presence of art therapy in the school system; (3) The setting and the benefits versus the challenges of supervision; and (4) Suggestions for better integration of art therapy into the school system.

Jungian theory and its use in art therapy in the viewpoints of Israeli Jungian art therapists

ABSTRACT The present study explored Jungian art therapists’ perceptions of Jungian theory (JT) and its use in art therapy (AT). Fifteen experienced Israeli Jungian art therapists took part in semi-structured interviews. The findings describe the participants’ conceptualizations of the Jungian approach as it is evolving within AT. Thematic analysis yielded two main dimensions: (1) JT and its uses by art therapists and (2) clinical implications, leading to distinct interplay of JT and AT practice. The therapeutic processes and considerations underlying these themes are affected by JT, which assumes that the client constructs meaning unconsciously and through symbolic processes. The findings point to the importance of understanding the role of theoretical models in art therapists’ perceptions and their ways of participating in therapeutic process.

Effectiveness of Art Therapy With Adult Clients in 2018—What Progress Has Been Made?

In the year 2000, an important art therapy literature review addressed an essential question—does art therapy work? It discussed 17 articles dealing with the issue of the effectiveness of art therapy. Two decades later, this research field has extended its scope and is flourishing. Several current reviews of research work have described the broad range of methods implemented today, which includes qualitative and quantitative studies; other reviews have focused on art therapy with specific populations, or by age group. The aim of this systematic literature review is to contribute to the ongoing discussion in the field by exploring the latest studies dealing with the effectiveness of art therapy with a broad scope of adult clients. We conducted a comprehensive search in four databases and review of every quantitative article that has addressed outcome measures in the art therapy field from 2000 to 2017. This paper presents the latest 27 studies in the field that examine the effectiveness of art therapy with adult clients and divides them into seven clinical categories: cancer patients, clients coping with a variety of medical conditions, mental health clients, clients coping with trauma, prison inmates, the elderly, and clients who have not been diagnosed with specific issues but face ongoing daily challenges. It underscores the potential effects of art therapy on these seven clinical populations, and recommends the necessary expansions for future research in the field, to enable art therapy research to take further strides forward.

Art therapy in the Israeli education system – a qualitative meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Nine studies involving 131 interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2015 with female art therapists, supervisors, counsellors, teachers and school principals in the Arab and Jewish educational systems on the state of art therapy in the Israeli school system. This article presents a qualitative meta-analysis of these studies to provide an up-to-date comprehensive picture of the integration of art therapy in the Israeli education system. It also addresses zones of conflict between the therapeutic and educational approaches. The advantages and disadvantages of integrating art therapy into the education system are discussed in parts 1 and 2. Part 3 details the recommendations emerging from the interviews. Part 4 summarises the problems and conflicts. The discussion examines these findings in the light of the Guidelines for Teaching Staff From the Health Professions and Creative Arts Therapists Who Work in the Education System, published by the Israel Ministry of Education in 2015.

Mothers’ perceptions of their relationships with their children and their responses to joint drawings

ABSTRACT Although the association between parental relationships with their children and creative output is one of the basic tenets of therapeutic work in dyadic art therapy, this assumption has rarely been examined experimentally. This study was designed to explore associations between mothers’ perceptions of their relationships with their children and their responses to a joint drawing task. Seventy-four dyads composed of mothers and their 6–9-year-olds created joint drawings. The mothers then filled out the Art-Based Intervention Questionnaire (ABI) and the Relations with Father/Mother Questionnaire (RFMQ) to assess responses to their drawing experience and perceptions of their relationship with their child. The findings showed that mothers who had a more positive perception of their relationship with their daughter also had a more positive experience in the joint drawing activity, whereas no such correlations were found for mother–son relationships.

Documenting Art Therapy Clinical Knowledge Using Interviews.

Abstract Practicing art therapists have vast stores of knowledge and experience, but in most cases, their work is not documented, and their clinical knowledge does not enter the academic discourse. This article proposes a systematic approach to the collection of practice knowledge about art therapy based on conducting interviews with art therapists who specialize in a particular population or implement a unique theoretical approach. This knowledge can then be conceptualized into guidelines for clinical practice that can be shared among professional art therapists.

Silence during art therapy: The art therapist’s perspective

ABSTRACT This study examines the perceptions and experiences of Israeli art therapists regarding the use of silence during art therapy, and its effects on the art therapist, the client and the therapeutic relationship. The researchers interviewed 15 art therapists using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) analysis method (Hill, C. E. [2012]. Consensual qualitative research: A practical resource for investigating social science phenomena. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association). The interview covered five primary domains: (1) silence as an art therapy tool—the art therapist’s depiction of a therapist who uses silence in therapy; (2) reasons for using silence in art therapy—the rationale for using silence as an intervention tool and the therapist’s perceptions regarding the client’s use of silence; (3) the art therapist’s perceptions of the effects of silence on the client, the therapeutic relationship and the therapeutic dialogue; (4) the role of the art therapist during moments of silence in the therapy room; and (5) the art therapist’s perception of the uniqueness of the art medium during moments of silence in therapy. These findings can lead to a greater understanding of the importance and contribution of silence in art therapy.