Principles and Practice of Expressive Arts Therapy: Toward a Therapeutic Aesthetics

Challenging traditional therapeutic approaches where the art is often secondary to the psychological model, "Principles and Practice of Expressive Arts" provides a coherent theoretical framework for an expressive arts therapy practice that places the process of art-making and the work itself at the center. This book lays the philosophical foundation for a fresh interpretation of art-making and the therapeutic process by re-examining the concept of poiesis. The authors clarify the methodology and theory of practice with a focus on intermodal therapy, crystallization theory and polyaesthetics, and give guidance on the didactics of skills acquisition. Case studies of clinical practice and guidance on supervision and training in intermodal expressive arts therapy complement the theoretical chapters. Combining philosophy, theory and practice, this book is an essential text for students and academics in the field and for practicing expressive and specialized arts therapists.