Making a significant contribution to a theory of music therapy, this book addresses current music therapy debates to do with meaning: are words necessary in creative music therapy? How is clinical improvisation distinct from 'pure' music improvisation? If so, what is the nature of the distinction? How do music therapists address culture-specific nuances in music, and in concepts of healing rituals? The book is in three parts. The first explores concepts and theories developed by music theorists and music psychologists, in order to explore meaning in music as artform, in contrast to music as therapy, concluding with an exploration of the similarities and distinctions between music improvisation whose emphasis is musical, and clinical improvisation whose emphasis is inter-personal, thus addressing the particular acuity that music therapists develop through training and practice. The second part explores the relationship between music and human emotion, in order to establish why, and on what basis, music is used as a therapeutic agent. The third part draws concepts from psychodynamic theory into the music therapy sphere in order to explore meaning, and verbal meaning in music therapy. By drawing extensively from current literature on music and developmental psychology, music therapy, psychotherapy and music theory, this book encourages music therapists not to compromise the musical process at the heart of their practice, not simply to `borrow' concepts from allied theories, but to use these with authority - the authority that this book seeks to provide.

With a strong emphasis on working in group settings, Reflections on Therapeutic Storymaking develops both the theory and practice of storymaking, enlivened by many examples from various cultures in which Alida Gersie has worked. The author reflects on the dynamics of the storytelling process and explores the common experiences and attitudes which emerge in story work. The book discusses a broad range of topics, including: - the various types of narrative and their uses - the impact of race, class and other factors on the group and group leader - the need to encourage tolerance for the expression of emotional range - the potential benefits of the group storytelling process. Extending the author's earlier work on the use of stories to bring about healing change, this book will enrich the practice of anyone engaged in therapeutic work in either a group or individual setting.

This study explores the potential of using stories to communicate with children in therapy. The natural resilience of the children allows them to distance themselves from events and create another "reality" in the stories where children can communicate emotionally without directly involving their emotions. The author seeks to show how through encouraging the stories and participating in them we can nurture both the children and their recovery process, and enable them to learn to live with their experiences.;Examples of stories by both childrn and professional authors are spread throughout the book to reinforce the argument that stories are a vital part of understanding the emotional and mental state of a child.

Robert Landy has assembled a collection of essays which encompasses his experience as a dramatherapist. The concept of 'double life' can be seen to be a central theme running through the work - encapsulating the dramatherapist's need to balance the issues of theory, practice and personal growth. The range of essays includes both theory and practice. Landy tackles issues of training and research, examines concepts - such as that of role - in dramatherapy and presents case studies, such as the ambitious 'The Double Life - A Case of Bipolar Disorder'. Uniting entirely new material with some of Landy's most respected work, this collection will be of enduring importance to dramatherapists, teachers and students of dramatherapy, and all those with an interest in creative arts expression.

Brief dramatherapy is offered in treatment settings for acute or chronic in-patient populations and out-patient or community health settings with a maintenance, rehabilitation or personal development purpose. Providers of such treatment want to offer: the briefest possible treatment programmes; which involve optimum numbers of clients; at the most reasonable level of cost; with the best predictable outcome, and the clearest, most competent, evaluation of efficacy strategies. Written by the directors of the world's major training programmes in dramatherapy, this book presents their approach to and theory of brief dramatherapy.

Eating disorders are of increasing concern in the medical and psychiatric professions. Growing awareness that the arts therapies have something unique and positive to offer led to the publication of this book by experts in all areas of the arts therapies. The symptoms and aetiology ascribed to such disorders and the treatment methods prescribed to clients are discussed, and the chapters go on to focus on the use of specific arts therapies within this area, including discussions of the theoretical models they are based on, the methodologies used and the as yet small amount of research that has been completed.

The author describes how, in practice, music therapists work at child day care centres, adult day care centres and in other institutions. The first chapters cover the history and theory of working with music with people with developmental disabilities. The main body of the book covers discussion of the various methods, including individual and group work. Each method is described in terms of the clinical indications, the objectives set and the choice of techniques and musical instruments, and is illustrated through the use of case study. The final chapter draws conclusions for both theory and practice.

This book explores the role of drama, movement and music in helping mentally disturbed patients to emerge from their twilight world into a state where they can begin to come to terms with themselves and with daily living. The basic principles of movement are outlined, and their use and practical value discussed. The book is intended for those experienced in therapy who want to understand movement, for those trained in movement who want who want to apply what they have learned in the therapeutic and other remedial ways, and as an introduction to both movement and therapy for those in other disciplines.

This book - by one of the leaders in this exciting and relatively new field - is the first to present a working framework for dramatherapists, social workers, family and marital therapists, and others conducting groups. This framework primarily deals with dramatherapy in the non-clinical setting such as family centres, residential children's homes, social services resources and intermediate treatment centres. Separate chapters cover current theory, methodology and application in specific client areas including child abuse. The author addresses work with children and adults, both individually and in groups, illustrated by case history examples. A final chapter concentrates on the needs of the therapist and shows how dramatherapy can be used as a personal resource.

From the author of The CBT Art Activity Book, this book brings you even more and even better worksheets and ready-to-use creative activities based on CBT principles. With striking patterned designs and easy-to-follow prompts, these 100 new worksheets are suitable for adults and young people, in individual or group work. Using CBT and art as therapy, they support therapeutic outcomes such as emotional regulation, improved self-esteem and resilience, coping with change and loss, and identifying goals. The book also includes guidance on using the worksheets effectively in therapeutic sessions, enabling a safe space to express, articulate and process difficult experiences and emotions.

With contributions from well-respected figures in the field, this book explores the use of narrative and image in the therapeutic treatment of trauma and addiction. The book considers topics such as early trauma and its impacts, therapeutic methods based on images and narrative, and recovery and post-traumatic growth through community engagement. Despite a close practical association between the two, trauma and addiction are often addressed or treated separately. By considering them together, this book offers a rare perspective and is an invaluable tool for art and narrative therapists, as well as professionals supporting those dealing with addiction or trauma.

This guidebook has been created to be used alongside the storybook, The Girl Who Lost the Light in Her Eyes. Using a relational approach, it explores the themes of the story and offers guidance to the adult as they use expressive arts to give the child or young person a creative outlet for their emotions. The gentle guidance offered makes this an ideal tool for non-specialists working with children experiencing loss or bereavement. It guides the adult to respond appropriately and sensitively to the grief of the child, whilst helping them journey through the grieving process. This book must be used alongside the illustrated storybook, The Girl Who Lost the Light in Her Eyes. Both books are available to purchase as a set, Supporting Children and Young People Who Experience Loss. The full set includes: * The Girl Who Lost the Light in Her Eyes, a colourfully illustrated and sensitively written storybook, designed to encourage conversation and support emotional literacy. * Using the Expressive Arts with Children and Young People Who Experience Loss, a supporting guidebook that explores a relational approach and promotes creative expression as a way through loss or bereavement. Perfectly crafted to spark communication around a difficult topic, this is an invaluable tool for practitioners, educators, parents, and anybody else looking to support a child or young person through loss or bereavement.

This unique text is both an accessible introduction and specialist review of contemporary dramatherapy practice today. The collected chapters introduce critical and cohesive perspectives on dramatherapy as it is being practiced, developed and advanced in diverse contexts, and also investigate the connections between the discipline of dramatherapy both as an allied health profession, a form of psychotherapy and a traditional form of theatre and healing. In so doing, the volume unpicks the relationship between drama and therapy, exploring some of its key philosophies and practices, and examining its efficacy. Edited by two experienced lecturers and dramatherapists, the book stands as a timely and crucial resource for students and practitioners alike in this growing field. It is essential reading for students on dramatherapy, arts therapy and applied theatre degree programmes, and useful background reading for students of theatre and performance, counselling and psychotherapy.

Therapists who work with children and adolescents are frequently faced with nonresponsive, reticent, or completely nonverbal clients. This volume brings together expert clinicians who explore why 4- to 16-year-olds may have difficulty talking and provide creative ways to facilitate communication. A variety of play, art, movement, and animal-assisted therapies, as well as trauma-focused therapy with adolescents, are illustrated with vivid clinical material. Contributors give particular attention to the neurobiological effects of trauma, how they manifest in the body when children "clam up," and how to help children self-regulate and feel safe. Most chapters conclude with succinct lists of recommended practices for engaging hard-to-reach children that therapists can immediately try out in their own work.

With an international focus, this book considers how art techniques and exercises can be used in therapeutic work across cultural and race boundaries. Drawing on her experience working in post-Apartheid South Africa, the author gives practical guidance on how to overcome resistance to the therapeutic process, misunderstandings, and other barriers, such as language difficulties. With illuminating case studies, the book explains how to handle very practical issues, such as working with an interpreter, and opens the door to a wider conversation around the use of art in multicultural work.

This multidisciplinary book shows how to foster meaningful relationships between therapists and vulnerable children, through exploring the concept of communicative musicality and creating rhythms of connection. It includes broad and in-depth contributions from leading therapists from diverse backgrounds - including Peter A. Levine, Daniel Hughes, Stephen Porges, Dennis McCarthy and many more. Contributors reflect on their own experiences, providing insights from the fields of music therapy, trauma, dance and movement therapy, psychobiology, dramatherapy, counselling, play therapy, and education. Contemporary theory is woven in with case stories to highlight the emotional realities of working with highly vulnerable children, and to present proven examples of how therapists can improve the quality of connectedness. Full of original and innovative ideas for working with attachment issues, trauma, communication difficulties, autism, learning disabilities, aggression and anxiety, this is inspiring reading for professionals who work with vulnerable children in creative therapies. Royalty proceeds from the book will be donated to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), UK.

The importance of therapeutic play in helping children recover from adversity has long been recognized. This unique volume brings together experts on resilience, trauma, and play therapy to describe effective treatment approaches in this key area. The book begins by providing guiding principles for intervention and describing the specific properties of play that promote resilience. Subsequent chapters delve into clinical applications, including such strategies as storytelling and metaphors, sand play, art therapy, play therapy adaptations for school settings, group interventions, and the use of therapeutic writing. Rich case studies and vignettes demonstrate creative ways to bolster at-risk children's strengths and enhance their natural capacity to thrive.

Based on extensive clinical experience, this book provides authoritative guidance and practical tools in a challenging area for child mental health professionals. The authors explain the many possible causes of problem sexual behaviors and demonstrate assessment and treatment procedures that have been shown to work with 4- to 11-year-olds and their families. Four chapter-length case examples illustrate how to integrate elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, play and expressive therapies, and family-based approaches. Helpful reproducible worksheets and forms can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

The educational constituency for the arts is rapidly expanding beyond the conventional school setting to include the wider community. Cultivating the Arts in Education and Therapy is a much needed textbook for courses in the training of arts teachers, arts therapists and community artists. Malcolm Ross brings together the latest research on human empathy and creativity to reposition the arts as central to the effective initiation and management of change in contemporary society. The book integrates traditional Chinese Five Element Theory, also known as The Five Phases of Change, with contemporary Western psychological and cultural studies, to form a new Syncretic Model of creative artistic practice. Ross sets empathy and authenticity at the heart of the curriculum -- not just the arts curriculum but the whole curriculum. The Syncretic Model is explored and validated through an analysis of interviews with practising, successful artists, and in a comprehensive review of the latest neuro-scientific research into human consciousness and emotion. Finally, drawing upon his extensive experience the author offers practical help in using the Syncretic Model to educational and therapy professionals working and training in the arts. For training and practising arts therapists the book will supply a much needed comprehensive rationale at a time when the need for a new research and theoretical underpinning of practice is recognised to be urgent. With the demand for their services growing and pressure to demonstrate effectiveness mounting, the arts therapy community is looking to build bridges between the different therapies and across national boundaries. This book offers a coherent, co-ordinating framework for a comprehensive reflective practice.

Going beyond traditional play therapy, this innovative book presents a range of evidence-based assessment and intervention approaches that incorporate play as a key element. It is grounded in the latest knowledge about the importance of play in child development. Leading experts describe effective strategies for addressing a wide variety of clinical concerns, including behavioral difficulties, anxiety, parent-child relationship issues, trauma, and autism. The empirical support for each approach is summarized and clinical techniques are illustrated. The book also discusses school-based prevention programs that utilize play to support children's learning and social-emotional functioning.

Professionals working in a range of clinical settings are regularly called upon to work with angry clients, and they may find their skills and resources for working with this powerful emotion limited. Art Therapy and Anger demonstrates how the non-verbal medium of art therapy provides an ideal outlet for the expression of thoughts and feelings that are too complex and painful to put into words, presenting a new and practical approach to dealing with this area of need. Marian Liebmann argues that clients of all ages will benefit from the art-making process, which helps them to slow down and consider their emotions more calmly. The tangible product of their efforts allows clients to assess and react to what they have depicted, providing a lucid and safe framework for better understanding the causes and effects of their anger. This book draws together contributions from art therapists who work in a wide variety of contexts, including work with offenders, mental health clients, clients with brain injury and those with cancer, with the view of helping clients to manage their anger more constructively. This positive, practical volume will be of great interest to art therapists and students, as well as practitioners working with angry clients in various fields such as mental health, probation, counselling and medicine.

Time does not heal all wounds: decades after a disaster, entire communities may still experience the long-term effects of trauma. Sociodrama and Collective Trauma examines the psychological and social damage of trauma to society as a whole. Kellermann argues that collective trauma has been insufficiently considered; his timely book suggests practical ways of facilitating the rehabilitation of survivors of collective trauma through, for example, sociodrama and related group work. The author develops methods for understanding the past and preparing for the future and provides a wealth of case studies based on 30 years' experience of treating survivors of war trauma and other forms of disaster. Combining a systematic theoretical approach with a practical methodology, this insightful book is invaluable for drama therapists, group therapists, mental health professionals and counsellors.

Writing from a dramatherapist's perspective, Roger Grainger looks at methods of researching the arts therapies, and how particular definitions of research affect our understanding and practising of arts therapies. He places approaches to research in four categories: quantitative research (which seeks to demonstrate), qualitative research (which explains by describing), action research (which explains by experiencing) and art-based research (which aims to document in an appropriate language, in this case art). Grainger evaluates all of these approaches, arguing that our theoretical or philosophical understanding of what research actually is has an effect on what we think research can be used for. Grainger argues that research always involves a trade-off between two kinds of inaccuracy, numerical and experiential, which correspond to the imprecise fit of the way we think about life and life itself. A range of research paradigms is useful because each regards the world in a different way. Taken together they provide a range of ways of increasing our understanding.

Arthur Robbins has been a practising art therapist for many years, and is founder of the Pratt Graduate Art Therapy program, one of the first of its kind to introduce art therapy training in the United States. This new text recasts his early work within the framework of modern psychodynamic theory. The underlying principle of the early works - the amalgamation of the creative and therapeutic processes in the belief that the facilitation of creativity improves psychological health - remains in this text, together with a thread of object-relations theory that intertwines with other models of treatment. There is also an emphasis on transference and countertransference, and a core belief that every art therapist must possess and develop the soul and sensitivity of an artist, thus valuing authenticity and maintaining a respect for the uniqueness of personal expression. This perception and understanding of the art form will aid the understanding of the entire personality organization of the patient. In this text, diagnosis is not used for categorization, but to offer indications for possible treatment and so to develop a treatment plan. Some patients need the reinforcement of ego skills and defences, others need mirroring, and some need to deal with object loss and attachment. A creative art therapist should not be bogged down by cumbersome role definitions and should be willing to take the same sort of risks that the creative process requires. The creative intent of this text is to offer a structure that is not limited to one therapeutic model and to open up the doors for the creative art therapist to be effective with a wide range of patient populations.

The Art and Science of Dance/Movement Therapy offers both a broad understanding and an in-depth view of how and where dance therapy can be used to produce change. The chapters go beyond the basics that characterize much of the literature on dance/movement therapy, and each of the topics covered offers a theoretical perspective followed by case studies that emphasize the techniques used in the varied settings. Several different theoretical points of view are presented in the chapters, illuminating the different paths through which dance can be approached in therapy.