Art psychotherapy
• Art psychotherapy is a form of therapy that offers clients opportunities to communicate, understand and reflect on their responses to life experiences, both verbally and non-verbally, within the safety of a supportive confidential relationship, with the aim of improving quality of life.
• Clients can use a range of art materials and processes in order to express and think about the feelings linked to the difficulties in their lives.
• The opportunities for non-verbal communication offered by working with the materials is especially helpful for people who find it difficult to put their thoughts and feelings into words and can also be a useful support for highly verbal people.
• Prior experience with art making is not necessary.
• The art materials are used for self-expression and deepening understanding and the emerging art works are generally not suited to exhibition and display. They reflect deeply personal experiences that are communicated within the confidentiality of the therapeutic relationship.
• Art Psychotherapy is recognised by the Australian and New Zealand Governments. It is located as an occupation within the 1220.0 – ANZSCO – Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition 2006: 272314 Psychotherapist. See:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Product+Lookup/
1220.0~2006~Chapter~UNIT+GROUP+2723+Psychologists
Accessed 3 January 2007, and
http://www.anzata.org
Accessed 3 January 2007