Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy moves beyond stereotypes about video game addiction and violence to consider the role that games play in psychological experiences and mental health. Chapters examine the factors that compel individual gamers to select and identify with particular games and characters, as well as the different play styles, genres, and archetypes common in video games. For clinicians looking to understand their clients' relationships with video games or to use games as a therapeutic resource in their own practice, this is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and timely resource.

Regarded by Augusto Boal as the international icon of his vision, Jana Sanskriti are the leading practitioners of Theatre of the Oppressed and Forum Theatre in India and the East. The group has worked continuously with rural communities in West Bengal since its beginnings in 1985 to reconfigure social and political relationships through theatre, achieving both a solid regional presence and an international reputation. This book combines: a biography of the group, charting their history, methodology and modes of operation an examination of Jana Sanskriti through the writings of their founder, Sanjoy Ganguly a detailed analysis of their performance events and practices, including the plays collected in Ganguly's Where We Stand (2009) practical exercises and games, taken from Jana Sanskriti's workshops and festivals. As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners offer unbeatable value for today's student.

Two authorities on popular culture reveal the ways in which art can enhance mood and enrich lives - now available in paperback This passionate, thought-provoking, often funny, and always-accessible book proposes a new way of looking at art, suggesting that it can be useful, relevant, and therapeutic. Through practical examples, the world-renowned authors argue that certain great works of art have clues as to how to manage the tensions and confusions of modern life. Chapters on love, nature, money, and politics show how art can help with many common difficulties, from forging good relationships to coming to terms with mortality.

The Exercise Effect on Mental Health contains the most recent and thorough overview of the links between exercise and mental health, and the underlying mechanisms of the brain. The text will enhance interested clinicians' and researchers' understanding of the neurobiological effect of exercise on mental health. Editors Budde and Wegner have compiled a comprehensive review of the ways in which physical activity impacts the neurobiological mechanisms of the most common psychological and psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. This text presents a rigorously evidence-based case for exercise as an inexpensive, time-saving, and highly effective treatment for those suffering from mental illness and distress.

Little research has explored the everyday, simple and long-term experience of maternal holding, particularly after the first year of a child's life. The research that has been undertaken commonly examines holding through the lens of attachment with a focus on the impact of holding upon the child. Employing an arts-based collaborative inquiry approach, participants' stories of holding, as well as the author's own, convey the significant maternal experiences of holding their children over individual arts therapeutic sessions. Optimal moments of holding included strange, powerful and meaningful experiences of expansion into self-in-relationship. Attention is drawn to the ways in which holding can alert us to the current state of mother/child relationships; how we understand, story and structure those relationships; and the ways in which we can attend to holding in order to develop deeply satisfying experiences of a mother/child 'us'. An Arts Therapeutic Approach to Maternal Holding aims to draw attention to the intersubjective qualities of the mother/child relationship, explore why holding matters, and offer suggestions for therapeutic practice. This book is essential reading for therapeutic practitioners and those in allied health fields who work with mothers and children.

Shlomo Ariel is an established international figure in the field of family therapy, having trained therapists in Israel, the USA and various European countries.

Discovery Through Activity provides a compendium of ideas, resources and practice evaluations that will inspire practitioners to be even more imaginative and to customise their own Recovery Through Activity programmes to meet the specifi c needs of participants. The original Recovery Through Activity handbook offers a flexible programme that is widely used in adult mental health settings. This accompanying and complementary resource shows how the intervention has been extended, adapted and applied service-wide. The resource showcases the work of a growing community of practitioners who have successfully facilitated Recovery Through Activity programmes to provide a forum for people to refl ect on their occupational lives and discuss and practise lifestyle choices that will enable them to improve their health and wellbeing. It includes: * an extended range of flexible ideas and resources to meet the needs of participants in Recovery Through Activity sessions * examples of how to apply Recovery Through Activity in one- to- one sessions and virtual groups * encouragement to adopt Recovery Through Activity across your services with confidence. With contributions illustrating the effective application of Recovery Through Activity in a range of settings and situations, this is a valuable resource for occupational therapists and other practitioners in mental health settings.

The Handbook of Medical Play Therapy and Child Life brings together the voices and clinical experiences of dedicated clinical practitioners in the fields of play therapy and child life. This volume offers fresh insights and up to date research in the use of play with children, adolescents, and families in medical and healthcare settings. Chapters take a strength-based approach to clinical interventions across a wide range of health-related issues, including autism, trauma, routine medical care, pending surgeries both large and small, injury, immune deficiency, and more. Through its focus on the resiliency of the child, the power of play, and creative approaches to healing, this handbook makes visible the growing overlap and collaboration between the disciplines of play therapy and child life.

The Clinical Practice of Equine-Assisted Therapy bridges theory, research, and practical methods to fill a rapidly developing gap for physical, occupational, speech, and mental health professionals interested in incorporating horses in therapy. Extensively researched and citing over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, it examines core issues such as terminology, scope of practice, competency recommendations, horse care ethics, and clinical practice considerations. This book is an essential resource for professionals who wish to use a best-practices approach to equine-assisted therapy.

This book presents "Action Over Inertia," a recovery-orientated, strengths-based approach to address the profound disruptions in daily activities and community participation often experienced by those living with serious mental illnesses. With a focus on supported "doing", the Action Over Inertia approach engages individuals in small activity and participation efforts as an opening to making longer term and sustained changes that offer meaning and well-being. The book helps service providers develop their own knowledge of activities and the health and well-being benefits an individual might receive from activities. It also asks them to consider the biases, assumptions, and constraints that might impact their ability to implement interventions related to activity and participation. A range of worksheets, resources, vignettes, and other tools are provided to support this practice. The manual was developed from the knowledge and practice of occupational science and therapy, but it will be of interest to any mental health professional, peer-provider, administrator, or policy maker interested in promoting recovery for people with serious mental illness

When asked to talk to students at Broome Community College in upstate New York in the spring of 2011, Austin Kleon wrote a simple list often things he wished he'd heard when he was their age: 'Steal like an artist; Don't wait until you know who you are to start making things; Write the book you want to read; Use your hands; Side projects are important; Do good work and put it where people can see it; Geography is no longer our master; Be nice (the world is a small town.); Be boring (it's the only way to get work done.); and, Creativity is subtraction.' After giving the speech, he posted the text and slides to his popular blog, where it quickly went viral. Now Kleon has expanded his original manifesto into an illustrated guide to the creative life for writers, artists, entrepreneurs, designers, photographers, musicians, and anyone attempting to make things - art, a career, a life - in the digital age. Brief, direct, and visually interactive, the book includes illustrative anecdotes and mini-exercise sections calling out practical actions readers can take to unleash their own creative spirits.

Occupational therapy is an allied health profession with an underlying belief that engaging in occupations promotes both health and wellness. This comprehensive text lays the foundation for occupation-based practice and addresses the contextual issues of working within the acute care setting. The chapters help to demystify medical conditions and issues routinely encountered by occupational therapists working in this practice area. Detailed research covers the importance of occupational therapists' knowledge of how diseases affect the human body, including the cardiovascular, nervous, and endocrine systems. Chapters review the evaluation process, including chart review, measures, and interpretations and recommendations for intervention to ensure the ultimate level of independence for each patient. Occupational Therapy in Acute Care is designed specifically for therapists working in a hospital setting to acquire better knowledge of the various body systems, common conditions, diseases, and procedures. Students and educators will find this new publication to be the most useful text available on the topic.

-Focuses on what actually works in development practice, in order to inform and inspire practitioners and students -Impressive global reach, with a wide range of case studies drawn from across Algeria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, India, Kosovo, Taiwan, USA, South Africa, Malawi, and China -Highlights development projects at the small and large scale and across a range of visual and performing arts

Errrorless learning is one of the most studied principles in neurorehabilitation. This is the first volume to capture all the key elements in the field in one invaluable resource, providing an up-to-date and broad analysis of the use of errorless learning principles in rehabilitation after brain injury. With contributions from key researchers in the field, Errorless Learning in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation covers the historical foundations of errorless learning, current understanding of underlying mechanisms which support learning and its use in memory and language in rehabilitation as applied to particular populations across the age span. This volume also addresses questions of efficacy through analysis of research comparing errorless learning with other established learning methods and principles. Errorless Learning in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation is an essential resource for practitioners, researchers and students of psychology, neuropsychology and rehabilitation.

Have you ever looked at a heavy volume on neuropsychology and wondered what it would actually be like to become a professional clinician, working every day with neurological patients in a busy hospital while simultaneously learning your craft? This book tells the story of that journey. The Notebook of a New Clinical Neuropsychologist vividly details the experience of starting work in clinical neuropsychology, exploring early-career learning and development through an intimate, case-based approach. Topics include the learning of basic clinical skills and knowledge, counter-transference, the clinician's emotional experiences, ethical and moral dilemmas, and the development of clinical reasoning. The book is structured around individual studies from the author's early caseload, with each vignette containing the relevant neuropathology, clinical presentation, history, neuropsychological test finding and other clinical data. Chapters are also organized around key neuropathological conditions, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and brain infections, which provide a broader context for the narrative focus of the book. Few academic books explore the personal, intellectual and ethical dilemmas that face a new clinician working with patients in a neuropsychological setting. Tailored to facilitate experiential learning via case studies, reflective practice and problem based-learning, the book will be of interest to students and professionals working within the broad area of neuropsychology and brain injury services.

Errrorless learning is one of the most studied principles in neurorehabilitation. This is the first volume to capture all the key elements in the field in one invaluable resource, providing an up-to-date and broad analysis of the use of errorless learning principles in rehabilitation after brain injury. With contributions from key researchers in the field, Errorless Learning in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation covers the historical foundations of errorless learning, current understanding of underlying mechanisms which support learning and its use in memory and language in rehabilitation as applied to particular populations across the age span. This volume also addresses questions of efficacy through analysis of research comparing errorless learning with other established learning methods and principles. Errorless Learning in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation is an essential resource for practitioners, researchers and students of psychology, neuropsychology and rehabilitation.

Art Therapy with Military Veterans: Trauma and the Image provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and applying art therapy with former and serving armed forces personnel who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This book brings together experienced contributors in one volume to provide the range of information essential to those seeking to understand the complexities of working in this context. In recent years, art therapy has received increasing attention as a promising treatment for veterans with PTSD. This cutting-edge book provides vital background information on PTSD, military culture and mental health provision, and an effective art therapy working model. The text explores creative partnerships with other disciplines, in different settings, and includes first-hand accounts from veterans about the role art therapy has played in their recovery. This accessible book is a timely response to growing recognition of the value of art therapy with veterans, and it also addresses issues relevant to the wider population of people whose lives have been detrimentally affected by trauma. With chapters authored by leading clinicians in this field, Art Therapy with Military Veterans: Trauma and the Image will be of interest to all art therapists and mental health professionals working with traumatised veterans.

Discovery Through Activity provides a compendium of ideas, resources and practice evaluations that will inspire practitioners to be even more imaginative and to customise their own Recovery Through Activity programmes to meet the specifi c needs of participants. The original Recovery Through Activity handbook offers a flexible programme that is widely used in adult mental health settings. This accompanying and complementary resource shows how the intervention has been extended, adapted and applied service-wide. The resource showcases the work of a growing community of practitioners who have successfully facilitated Recovery Through Activity programmes to provide a forum for people to refl ect on their occupational lives and discuss and practise lifestyle choices that will enable them to improve their health and wellbeing. It includes: * an extended range of flexible ideas and resources to meet the needs of participants in Recovery Through Activity sessions * examples of how to apply Recovery Through Activity in one- to- one sessions and virtual groups * encouragement to adopt Recovery Through Activity across your services with confidence. With contributions illustrating the effective application of Recovery Through Activity in a range of settings and situations, this is a valuable resource for occupational therapists and other practitioners in mental health settings.

Environmental Expressive Therapies contributes to the emerging phenomenon of eco-arts therapy by highlighting the work that international expressive arts therapists have accomplished to establish a framework for incorporating nature as a partner in creative/expressive arts therapy practices. Each of the contributors explores a particular specialization and outlines the implementation of multi-professional and multi-modal "earth-based" creative/expressive interventions that practitioners can use in their daily work with patients with various clinical needs. Different forms of creative/expressive practices-such as creative writing, play therapy techniques, visual arts, expressive music, dramatic performances, and their combinations with wilderness and animal-assisted therapy-are included in order to maximize the spectrum of treatment options. Environmental Expressive Therapies represents a variety of practical approaches and tools for therapists to use to achieve multiple treatment goals and promote sustainable lifestyles for individuals, families, and communities.

Environmental Expressive Therapies contributes to the emerging phenomenon of eco-arts therapy by highlighting the work that international expressive arts therapists have accomplished to establish a framework for incorporating nature as a partner in creative/expressive arts therapy practices. Each of the contributors explores a particular specialization and outlines the implementation of multi-professional and multi-modal "earth-based" creative/expressive interventions that practitioners can use in their daily work with patients with various clinical needs. Different forms of creative/expressive practices-such as creative writing, play therapy techniques, visual arts, expressive music, dramatic performances, and their combinations with wilderness and animal-assisted therapy-are included in order to maximize the spectrum of treatment options. Environmental Expressive Therapies represents a variety of practical approaches and tools for therapists to use to achieve multiple treatment goals and promote sustainable lifestyles for individuals, families, and communities.

This book focuses on somatic art therapy for treating acute or chronic pain, especially resulting from physical and/or psychological trauma. It discusses the role of the psyche in physical healing and encourages combining of traditional medicine and holistic perspectives in treatment. Translated from the French text, this volume provides case studies and examples from the author's art psychotherapy practice of 40 years, including the four-quadrants method. Chapters review the current treatments for chronic pain and PTSD and focus on art therapeutic methods to treat those conditions, such as art therapy protocols for PTSD. The book exposes the underlying rational of somatic art therapy, covering art therapy effectiveness, Levine's somatic dissociation, van der Kolk's somatic memory, and Scaer's procedural memory concepts. Also featured are chapter contributions from art therapists Sophie Boudrias, Mylene Piche, and Dr. Patcharin Sughondhabirom. By providing a unique, clear and concise synthesis of available art therapy methods this text will appeal both to the general and professional public, including professional art therapists, psychotherapists, helping relation professionals, and medical practitioners.

Shoma (Masatake) Morita, M.D. (1874-1938) was a Japanese psychiatrist-professor who developed a unique four stage therapy process. He challenged psychoanalysts who sanctioned an unconscious or unconsciousness (collective or otherwise) that resides inside the mind. Significantly, he advanced a phenomenal connection between existentialism, Zen, Nature and the therapeutic role of serendipity. Morita is a forerunner of eco-psychology and he equalised the strength between human-to-human attachment and human-to-Nature bonds. This book chronicles Morita's theory of "peripheral consciousness", his paradoxical method, his design of a natural therapeutic setting, and his progressive-four stage therapy. It explores how this therapy can be beneficial for clients outside of Japan using, for the first time, non-Japanese case studies. The author's personal material about training in Japan and subsequent practice of Morita's ecological and phenomenological therapy in Australia and the United States enhance this book. LeVine's coining of "cruelty-based trauma" generates a rich discussion on the need for therapy inclusive of ecological settings. As a medical anthropologist, clinical psychologist and genocide scholar, LeVine shows how the four progressive stages are essential to the classic method and the key importance of the first "rest" stage in outcomes for clients who have been embossed by trauma. Since cognitive science took hold in the 1970s, complex consciousness theories have lost footing in psychology and medical science. This book reinstates "consciousness" as the dynamic core of Morita therapy. The case material illustrates the use of Morita therapy for clients struggling with the aftermath of trauma and how to live creatively and responsively inside the uncertainty of existence. The never before published archival biographic notes and photos of psychoanalyst Karen Horney, Fritz Perls, Eric Fromm and other renowned scholars who took an interest in Morita in the 1950s and 60s provide a dense historical backdrop.

1) Describe Cliff Madsen's life, philosophy, and career as well as his legacy through his students. 2) Shows how he taught generations of music educators to become passionate about research and productive members in the field of music education 3) Presents Madsen's philosophical tenets and how they manifested in his teaching, research, and service

* The only resource available that focus solely on using clay work within art therapy to help women with negative body image * The case studies presented were researched as part of a PhD, examining the benefits for women of exploring body image through clay work within art therapy practice. The results of the research point to clay work as a significant resource, providing a positive and contained way to find personal acceptance and develop a balanced view of their body/person as a 'whole' rather than as a collection of 'imperfect' parts * As well as delineating the results of the study - offering both clinical and practical implications - this book provides a full protocol for the research and evaluation methods carried out, enabling further replication of the intervention, research, and analysis by other therapists

"Music triggered a healing process from within me. I started singing for the joy of singing myself and it helped me carry my recovery beyond the state I was in before I fell ill nine years ago to a level of well-being that I haven't had perhaps for thirty years." This book explores the experiences of people who took part in a vibrant musical community for people experiencing mental health difficulties, SMART (St Mary Abbotts Rehabilitation and Training). Ansdell (a music therapist/researcher) and DeNora (a music sociologist) describe their long-term ethnographic work with this group, charting the creation and development of a unique music project that won the 2008 Royal Society for Public Health Arts and Health Award. Ansdell and DeNora track the 'musical pathways' of a series of key people within SMART, focusing on changes in health and social status over time in relation to their musical activity. The book includes the voices and perspectives of project members and develops with them a new understanding of how music promotes their health and wellbeing. A contemporary ecological understanding of 'music and change' is outlined, drawing on and further developing theory from music sociology and Community Music Therapy. This innovative book will be of interest to anyone working in the mental health field, but also music therapists, sociologists, musicologists, music educators and ethnomusicologists. This volume completes a three part 'triptych', alongside the other volumes, Music Asylums: Wellbeing Through Music in Everyday Life, and How Music Helps: In Music Therapy and Everyday Life.