Sharon Snir

Attachment in Romantic Couples and Perceptions of a Joint Drawing Session

This study examined the postsession evaluations of romantic partners that engaged in a joint drawing task, which is a commonly used technique in art therapy. The shared nonverbal interaction between partners while drawing together is assumed to elicit tensions between closeness and individuality among the partners. To examine couples’ postsession evaluations and their associations to the attachment characteristics of the partners, each of 60 romantic couples drew on one shared sheet of paper and completed the Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ) and the adult romantic attachment scale. As hypothesized, both attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance were negatively correlated with perceptions of the joint drawing session as smooth and positive. Women evaluated session depth as greater than did men, with the widest gap found in the insecure—insecure couple attachment combination. The importance of evaluating the divergent experiences of participants in a joint drawing session and the interpersonal dynamics in anxious woman—avoidant man couples are discussed.

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.

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.

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.