The following annotated bibliography was assembled for Art Therapy 475 taught by Professor Turner, Summer 2010, Marylhurst University.
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1. Kossak, M. (2009). Therapeutic attunement: A transpersonal view of expressive arts therapy. Arts in Psychotherapy, 36(1), 13-18. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2008.09.003.
Kossak discusses the ways in which authentic connection between the therapist and client can deepen a relationship and be a locus for change. The author begins by explaining attunement and embodiment, and how a transcendent embodied attunement can lead to a sense of inner balance and control over oneself and one’s environment. They then go on to explain how this may be applied to an expressive arts therapy practice, discussing the ways in which it may contribute to a positive experience.
Following the discussion of attunement, Kossak elaborates on misattunement, or a state of dissonance, chaos, or uncontrolled change. Kossak notes that while attunement may be often considered aesthetically superior, misattunement is also of great value. Misattunement is a state of tension or rawness, where that which is unfinished or unbalanced comes to the fore, which may be of great value in a therapeutic setting. A moment so authentically unbalanced may provide great opportunity for discussion and development. The author also notes that misattunement may be necessary for the mental development of the individual, as they learn boundaries and behaviors. Kossak also suggests that when a therapist makes a mistake or says something they should not have, such a moment of misattunement may be of incredible value if honestly acknowledged because it can lead to a deepening of the client-therapist relationship.
The article was well written and focused on the need of the therapist to have a balanced relationship – both with their clients and with themselves. It touched on methods of centering within oneself and how moving and listening from that center could culminate in healing relationships. Kossak does an excellent job of discussing the ways in which attunement can be used to good effect for the individual and the therapist in an arts-focused therapeutic setting.
2. Öster, I., Magnusson, E., Thyme, K., Lindh, J., & Åström, S. (2007). Art therapy for women with breast cancer: The therapeutic consequences of boundary strengthening. Arts in Psychotherapy, 34(3), 277-288. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2007.04.003.
The authors of this article number among them practicing psychotherapists and art therapists. Focus of the study is on the positive effects of art therapy and its ability to enable women with breast cancer to utilize an outlook which will build better coping skills and awareness of resources for community and healing. The authors were very conscientious as to how the study should be conducted so as to give attention to the human agents involved, and therefore opted for a discursive approach, which focused on individual narrative. Participants in both the study and control groups were given a diary with basic instruction to narrate their experiences over a period of six months. The study group participants also engaged in regular art therapy sessions, and both groups were individually interviewed three times. Results were divided into several discourses (individual narrative types), with individuals who utilized a discourse of gendered boundaries and participated in art therapy sessions as experiencing the greatest positive effect in the study.
Throughout, the authors evidenced a genuine commitment to the development of effective techniques to aid women healing from breast cancer. Their commitment to the integrity of the individual’s experience and sanctity of individual narrative permeated the article. The study results, which were notably unique, provide room for further research into the development of a positive individually focused, art therapy integrated approach.
3. Pollanen, S. (2009). Craft as context in therapeutic change. Indian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 41(2), 43-47. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
In this article, Pollanen discusses the uses of craft as therapy and craft in a therapeutic setting. The author identifies the different ways in which craft – or art – may be utilized, from teaching a client a new skill to improve quality of life to utilizing it within a therapeutic setting as a vehicle for complex issues. Pollanen notes that methods and usage should be dependent on the individual client and the purpose of the activity. The positive factors of utilizing art and craft in an occupational therapy setting are commented upon, as well as the ways in which it can benefit the client and the client/therapist relationship. Overall, the article provides a quality breakdown of the ways in which craft can be used in therapy, its effectiveness in an integrated approach, and provides a basis for further conversation.
4. Pretorius, G., & Pfeifer, N. (2010). Group art therapy with sexually abused girls. South African Journal of Psychology, 40(1), 63-73. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
This article details the results of a study which covers the effectiveness of group art therapy for sexually abused girls aged 8-11 in South Africa. The authors note that the study sample group of less than twenty-five participants is very small, and that other factors contribute to make this study one which the results of should not be taken as authoritative. The participants were broken down into four groups – two study and two control groups. Authors of the article developed a program of four themes to be covered over eight sessions with the participants. At the end of the study, the authors found that girls in the experimental groups had decreased their feelings of depression and anxiety notably over girls in the control groups. While this is commendable, there were enough irregular factors in the study itself that its results are questionable at best. Those looking for authoritative results would best seek elsewhere or use this article as a starting point for references and research.
5. Rao, D., Nainis, N., Williams, L., Langner, D., Eisin, A., & Paice, J. (2009). Art therapy for relief of symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Care, 21(1), 64-69. doi:10.1080/09540120802068795.
This article presented the findings of a preliminary study on the effects of art therapy to help alleviate physical and psychological distress for people living with HIV/AIDS. A sample group of seventy-nine people were recruited from diverse backgrounds, although ninety percent were inpatient, with the remaining ten percent being outpatients. Participants experienced a one-hour session, where they either viewed a video of art therapy or participated in a session with a licensed art therapist. The participants were interviewed before and after the session on their psychological and physical wellbeing, and resources made available to all participants for ongoing psychological care in the form of an ongoing art therapy group, access to social work and psychotherapy services as needed. Findings were positive, as the “participants’ physical and psychological symptoms improved more for people who participated in one session of art therapy than for people who watched a videotape about art therapy.”
While this study was brief, it shows the beneficial effects of art therapy for individuals living with HIV/AIDS . There is a clear need identified for further study as to the ways in which art therapy can help people dealing with the psychological and physical symptoms of dealing with an ongoing condition. The study would likely have been more beneficial with a model of longer-term care, as a single session of therapy may help a participant begin to articulate something but is not always enough to complete the healing process if the issue is a complex one.
6. Wilson, M. (1998). Portrait of a sex addict. Sexual addiction & compulsivity, 5(4), 231. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Marie Wilson is a licensed art therapist with proven experience working with individuals diagnosed with sex addiction. In the article, she lays out the benefits of art therapy as providing a metaverbal method for clients to identify and communicate complex or strong emotions and experiences, where words are inadequate. Wilson briefly touches on the methods and media selections used in her work with groups of diagnosed sex addicts in a residential treatment setting, and provides some common exercises she utilizes. The author then covers common themes of images of diagnosed sex addicts, and closes with three case studies of individuals who were diagnosed with sex addiction.
The treatment method Wilson uses is designed to be complimentary to the twelve-step process upon which the residential program is based. While Wilson is an educated, authentic, and effective art therapist as evidenced throughout the article, studies have shown that a twelve-step based program is “at best ineffective and possibly less beneficial than no treatment” (Miller, 2008, p. 575). There is mounting evidence that the twelve-step model is an antiquated and unsubstantiated method of dealing with addiction, and that its core belief of an individual’s lack of power over their universe (e.g. surrendering to a higher power) is counterintuitive to treatment models based on engaging individual responsibility and participation in their life.
Wilson also appears to have a somewhat limited experience working with LGBT populations. This is evidenced by her conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity in the case study of Gary, whose self-disclosed attraction to both men and women never touches upon any kind of desire or ideation to be seen as a gender other than that which he is, at the time of the case study, seen to be. Overall, the article is a quality resource for illustrating the effectiveness of group art therapy, but is dated in its attitudes and experience around treatment models and individual issues.
Additional Resources
Miller, J. (2008). 12-Step treatment for alcohol and substance abuse revisited: Best available evidence suggests lack of effectiveness or harm. International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction, 6(4), 568-576. doi:10.1007/s11469-008-9146-4.
