Leading art therapy groups is often a challenge, but as Bruce Moon so eloquently describes in this new second edition, making art in the context of others is an incredibly and almost inexplicably powerful experience. By placing the art at the center of practice, Art-Based Group Therapy creates an explanatory model and rationale for group practice that is rooted in art therapy theory and identity. There are four primary goals discussed in this text. First, an overview of essential therapeutic elements of art-based group work is provided. Second, a number of case vignettes that illustrate how therapeutic elements are enacted in practice are presented. Third, the author clearly differentiates art-based group therapy theory from traditional group psychotherapy theory. Fourth, the aspects of art-based group work and their advantages unique to art therapy are explored. Art-based group processes can be used to enhance participants' sense of community and augment educational endeavors, promote wellness, prevent emotional difficulties, and treat psychological behavioral problems. Artistic activity is used in art-based groups processes to: (1) create self-expression and to recognize the things group members have in common with one another; (2) develop awareness of the universal aspects of their difficulties as a means to identify and resolve interpersonal conflicts; (3) increase self-worth and alter self-concepts; (4) respond to others and express compassion for one another; and (5) clarify feelings and values. Through the author's effective use of storytelling, the reader encounters the group art therapy experience, transcending the case vignette and didactic instruction. Art-based group therapy can help group members achieve nearly any desired outcome, and/or address a wide range of therapeutic objectives. The book will be of benefit to students, practitioners, and educators alike. Using it as a guide, art therapy students may be more empowered to enter into the uncertain terrains of their practice grounded in a theory soundly based in their area of study. Practitioners will no doubt be encouraged, validated, and inspired to continue their work. The author succeeds in establishing a framework that allows art therapists to communicate the value of their work in a language that is unique to art therapy. Reviews: “In his uniquely compassionate, thoughtful, and stirring voice Bruce Moon moves art therapy closer to taking its place as one of the most reliable modes of achieving transformative mental health outcomes. Art-Based Group Therapy establishes Moon’s work as the deep and contagious mainstream of art therapy that dares to call itself an ‘act of love.’ Readers experience through the most direct and engaging language how healing happens by giving solitary, struggling, and lost souls the opportunity to create, be known, and affirmed in the company of other people and the images they make.”
Shaun McNiff University Professor Lesley University Cambridge, Massachusetts Contents: Foreword by Chris Belkofer Introduction
I. Therapeutic Essentials of Art-Based Therapy Groups II. Art-Based Group Leadership III. Safety, Rituals, and Risk IV. Making Art With Others is an Expression of Hope V. More Than Talking Cures VI. Creating Community VII. How You Feel About Me and How I Feel About You VIII. Art Making in the Present Tense IX. The Empowering Quality of Making Art with Others X. Regard for Others XI. Making Art With Others is Gratifying and Pleasurable XII. Self-Transcendence XIII. Art-Based Groups and the Ultimate Concerns of Existence XIV. The Healing Power of Being Witnessed XV. Materials and Media in Art-Based Groups XVI. Therapeutic Planning in Art-Based Groups XVII. Ethical Issues in Art-Based Groups
Epilogue References Suggested Readings Index
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