A classic in art therapy literature since its introduction nearly two decades ago, this book is an expression of the author's desire to link the practice of art psychotherapy to the core issues of life as presented in existentialism. The inclusion of existential in this book's title denotes an interest in human struggle with issues of life in the face of death. The Canvas Mirror is the story of connections: the author's connections with his patients, their connections with each other, and, ultimately, the author's connections with the reader. We are provided in this book with a philosophy of how to be rather than a manual of what to do. The author shows us that it is possible to speak in plain language about the difficulties of therapists' patients if art therapists also speak to themselves in that same language. Unique features include: existential values and artistic traditions; metaphor, ritual, and journey; structuring chaos; existential emptiness and art; tenets of existential art therapy; the frame of The Canvas Mirror; listening to images and relating to artworks; dimensions of creative action; artists of the cutting edge; the changing face of illness; existential leadership and basic tasks; and dialoguing with dreams. Replete with numerous illustrations, this text will serve as a valuable resource to medical and mental health professionals, occupational therapists, artists, students and theorists of art, and rehabilitation professionals. The current state of mental health care, with short stays and a problem-focused approach, makes this book even more relevant today than when it was first published in 1990.
This expanded new edition reflects the author's efforts to explore the crucial components of the education of the creative arts therapist. The text reflects significant developments in the profession of art therapy, important modifications in the educational standards of the American Art Therapy Association, and profound changes in health care. The book is an expression of the author's belief that the most essential element of art therapy is art as the core of the profession. It is art making that undergirds the profession and is also the key element that art therapists bring to the client-therapist and educator-student relationships. Central, too, to the author's approach is the manner in which mentor and beginning art therapist come together in their efforts to learn and grow. The concern for authentic engagement in the training relationship enhances the beginner's ability to use the self to help clients learn to use art and artistic expression to identify and integrate new insights in their lives. Topics presented include The Image, Making Art, Beginner's Chaos, Journey Metaphor in Education, Mentor/Supervisor, The Art Experience, Core Curriculum, Practical Experience, Science and Soul in the Clinical Setting, The Work of Art Therapy, The Young Student, Gifts of the Male and Female Student, Role of Philosophy, Therapy and Holidays, Metaverbal Therapy, Role of Metaphor, Role of Love, Role of Assessment, and Role of Work. The book is ultimately concerned with the use of art and the artistic relationship to promote human growth. The author's deep understanding of both art and existentialism makes this book a high point in the ever-evolving fields of existential psychotherapy and art therapy.
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.
In order to practice art therapy, one must have faith in the healing qualities of art processes and products. Introduction to Art Therapy: Faith in the Product begins and ends with references to love and faith, including characteristic elements of the writing process and clinical art therapy endeavors. This third edition represents a thorough revision of ideas expressed in the previous two editions, presenting the major themes and issues of the profession in light of the experiences of intervening years. Art therapy is effective with individuals, families, and groups and it works well with the intellectually gifted and the learning impaired. It can also be used with the chronically mentally ill, the terminally ill, the vision impaired, and the deaf. Art therapy is particularly effective with post-traumatic stress disorder--from the aftereffects of war, including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Enhancements in this text include: an overview of the spectrum of theoretical orientations within art therapy; a brief history of practice in the United States; fundamental principles of art therapy; curative aspects of art therapy; and metaverbal therapy. The author underscores the nature of the work, describes truths and fictions, explores pathos or pathology, and the therapeutic self. The text examines the social responsibility of art therapists and their colleagues; to record events, give form to culture, nurture imagination, and promote individual and social transformation. In addition, the author presents exceptional case examples including client-prepared artwork that highlights the text. This book will be an inspiration to serious artists that want to be involved in art therapy, and to the veteran art therapists to renew their vocations by living the process of art therapy. This comprehensive and insightful book will be valuable to art therapists, medical and mental health professionals, occupational therapists, and other rehabilitation professionals that aspire to become more effective in reaching others.
The definitive account of existential psychotherapy. First published in 1980, Existential Psychotherapy is widely considered to be the foundational text in its field— the first to offer a methodology for helping patients to develop more adaptive responses to life’s core existential dilemmas. In this seminal work, American psychiatrist Irvin Yalom finds the essence of existential psychotherapy and gives it a coherent structure, synthesizing its historical background, core tenets, and usefulness to the practice. Organized around what Yalom identifies as the four "ultimate concerns of life"—death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness—the book takes up the meaning of each existential concern and the type of conflict that springs from our confrontation with each. He shows how these concerns are manifest in personality and psychopathology, and how treatment can be helped by our knowledge of them. Drawing from clinical experience, empirical research, philosophy, and great literature, Yalom provides an intellectual home base for those psychotherapists who have sensed the incompatibility of orthodox theories with their own clinical experience, and opens new doors for empirical research. The fundamental concerns of therapy and the central issues of human existence are woven together here as never before, with intellectual and clinical results that have surprised and enlightened generations of readers.
An existential therapy handbook from those in the field, with its broad scope covering key texts, theories, practice, and research The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy is a work representing the collaboration of existential psychotherapists, teachers, and researchers. It's a book to guide readers in understanding human life better through the exploration of aspects and applications of existential therapy. The book presents the therapy as a way for clients to explore their experiences and make the most of their lives. Its contributors offer an accurate and in-depth view of the field. An introduction of existential therapy is provided, along with a summary of its historical foundations. Chapters are organized into sections that cover: daseinsanalysis; existential-phenomenonological, -humanistic, and -integrative therapies; and existential group therapy. International developments in theory, practice and research are also examined.
Explore the concept of time as it applies to the therapeutic setting Following the innovative first edition which she co-authored with her late father, Freddie Strasser, in the newly revised Second Edition of Time-Limited Existential Therapy: The Wheel of Existence, distinguished therapist Alison Strasser delivers an insightful aid to integrating and working with existential givens as they arise within a therapeutic encounter. She locates the concept of Time as central to all therapies, regardless of their theoretical modality, and demonstrates how it can be used in brief, short-term, and open-ended therapies. The book relies on the concept of The Wheel to provide a framework for understanding existential and phenomenological philosophies and to help readers put them into practice with clients. It includes meaningful case vignettes that bring existential themes to life and is accessible to both therapists and interested lay members of the public. Finally, the author highlights how our experience with COVID-19 has impacted, and been impacted by, the existential themes we all deal with on a regular basis. A thorough overview of a commonsense existential approach and a discussion of the mystery of time Practical discussions of the limitations and possibilities of time-limited existential therapies, as well as concepts and methods in the area. Comprehensive explorations of the tyranny of high morality, and examinations of the body, the "givents" and "connectedness". Time-Limited Existential Therapy: The Wheel of Existence is an indispensable resource for experienced psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, coaches, and psychologists, as well as trainees in these fields seeking a common-sense approach to existential ideas in the context of therapy.
Apply the major psychotherapy theories into practice with this comprehensive text Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice: Skills, Strategies, and Techniques, 2nd Edition is an in-depth guide that provides useful learning aids, instructions for ongoing assessment, and valuable case studies. More than just a reference, this approachable resource highlights practical applications of theoretical concepts, covering both theory and technique with one text. Easy to read and with engaging information that has been recently revised to align with the latest in industry best practices, this book is the perfect resource for graduate level counseling theory courses in counselor education, marriage and family therapy, counseling psychology, and clinical psychology. Included with each copy of the text is an access code to the online Video Resource Center (VRC). The VRC features eleven videos—each one covering a different therapeutic approach using real therapists and clients, not actors. These videos provide a perfect complement to the book by showing what the different theories look like in practice. The Second Edition features: New chapters on Family Systems Theory and Therapy as well as Gestalt Theory and Therapy Extended case examples in each of the twelve Theory chapters A treatment planning section that illustrates how specific theories can be used in problem formulation, specific interventions, and potential outcomes assessment Deeper and more continuous examination of gender and cultural issues An evidence-based status section in each Theory chapter focusing on what we know from the scientific research, with the goal of developing critical thinking skills A new section on Outcome Measures that provides ideas on how client outcomes can be tracked using practice-based evidence Showcasing the latest research, theory, and evidence-based practice in an engaging and relatable style, Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice is an illuminating text with outstanding practical value.
Less of an orientation and more a way of understanding the challenges of being human, existential therapy draws on rich and diverse philosophical traditions and ways of viewing the world. Traditionally it has been seen as difficult to summarise and comprehend and the air of mystery surrounding existential ideas has been exacerbated by the dense language often used by philosophers and practitioners. Existential Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to a fascinating and exciting body of knowledge, and the therapeutic approach it informs. Divided into five parts the topics covered include: Existentialism – inception to present day Theoretical assumptions Existential phenomenological therapy in practice Ethics and existential therapy Bringing it all together Existential Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques will be essential reading for all trainee and qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists who want to use the wisdom of existential ideas in their work with clients. It will also benefit clients and potential clients who want to find out how existential ideas and existential therapy can help them explore what it means to be alive.
"An excellent 'primer.' This is the type of text that I would have liked to have read when I was first introduced to the existential-phenomenological approach within psychology. It is clearly written and jargon-free. . . . I highly recommend this book as a very good introduction." --Mufid James Hannush in Journal of Phenomenological Psychology Are psychological problems brought on by social pressure, biology, culture, or personal pathology? Or are they the by-product of the essential paradoxes of human existence? This volume offers the practicing therapist a concrete framework for understanding both the role of the counselor and the concept of anxiety in contemporary society. But more importantly, the author demonstrates practical methods for applying an existential approach to counseling. Counseling is not presented as a problem-solving or skill-building exercise; rather, it is seen as a process enabling the client to come to terms with living life as it is, with all its inherent contradictions. Through an abundant use of case illustrations, the author clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of existential counseling in many different areas of therapy, from crisis intervention to work with chronic unhappiness. Written in a simple, elegant style by a leading authority on therapy techniques, this volume will prove an indispensable guide to the existential approach for all counselors and students of counseling. "Offers a very readable account of counselling from an existential perspective. Numerous case histories are used to illustrate common dilemmas in people's lives. . . . The book flows in a sensitive narrative on the problems of living and neurotic ways of denying and dealing withconflict. . . . It reads more like a commentary on people's lives, rather than a structured and informative introduction to Existential Counselling. . . .I enjoyed the book immensely and it is well recommended as a balance to the technically loaded manuals of today." --British Journal of Medical Psychology "This is a book worthy of wide acclaim as it fills a missing philosophical gap in therapy in Western civilization. The author writes clearly and simply in plain English. She presents existential thought as an easily accessible coherent body of work. The book is full of case histories where seemingly meaningless psychotic episodes are later explained. Also there are cases of despair, depression and meaninglessness quoted which is what makes this book so necessary for our times of mass production, mass media and mass alienation." --Suggestions: The Newsletter of the Association of Professional Therapists "A process of continuous questioning and clarification helps clients to examine their natural, public, private, and ideal worlds; to discover and explore their basic assumptions and view of the world; and thereby to learn what it means to be true to themselves. The book is intended for counselors and psychotherapists but can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in existentialism, providing a coherent, readable, and easily understood description of existentialism and its use as a treatment form. It makes a strong case for the value of fostering independence and authenticity in clients through the use of the Socratic method rather than empathy. . . . This author emphasizes the role of the counselor as an educator. She cites many case histories, some of whose outcomes seem almostmiraculous. the book is worth reading." --Readings: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health "A lucid, highly readable, and solid introduction to this school of thought in the helping professions. . . . An existential approach is appealing, particularly to helping professionals who concern themselves with their clients' spiritual needs." --Review and Expositor "This book provides an excellent source from which to examine the extent to which cognitive therapy is informed by existentialism. The reader is promised a logical application of the ideas of existential philosophy that translate into practical counselling methods. This promise is fulfilled. The book is full of succinct case examples which illustrate the principles clearly." --British Journal of Guidance and Counselling
