Contemporary US and European approaches to ecosystems and mental health have left many feeling disempowered in the face of the climate crisis. This article advocates for holistic approaches to supporting natural complex systems with contemplation and care. It explores how environmental metaphors and nature-based art therapy can foster human-nature…

Witnessing the devastating impacts of climate change and species loss has left many of us grappling with inexpressible grief for our more-than-human world. The importance of creating therapeutic environments to facilitate ecological grieving is greater than ever. This article examines the potential benefits of art therapy in this context. These…

Art therapy is an emerging allied health profession in Singapore, although attitudes toward the role of the service remain unclear. This study surveyed 80 healthcare professionals from two tertiary care hospitals, exploring three areas: (a) perceptions of art therapy, (b) the referral process, and (c) suggestions to increase art therapy…

A pilot research study examined how US graduate-level creative arts therapists (CATs) engaged clients in sexuality discussions as part of treatment, a mixed-methods concurrent design of survey research and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative survey obtained comprehensive data from over 130 CATs on their comfort and willingness to address…

There is a growing interest in understanding the connection between Indigenous art, nature, and art therapy, however information on the health implications of Indian Indigenous art practices is scarce. This case study highlights the application of nature-based Indian Indigenous art form "Gond" and explores its therapeutic potential in…

Clay is an effective medium in art therapy insofar as it promotes mindfulness, acceptance, and a keen awareness of impermanence. Specifically, Buddhist-inspired lessons of meditative practices permeate the clay studio and embody ceramic arts techniques such as wabi-sabi and kintsugi. Of all art media, clay offers a hands-on approach that…

Art therapy and medical students (N = 45) participated in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to: (1) enhance observation skills, (2) examine interdisciplinary approaches to assessment, (3) determine VTS' impact on awareness of implicit bias. Quantitative and qualitative questionnaires and a post-procedure reflective focus group evaluated…

This dissertation explores the effectiveness of both narrative therapy and art therapy practices incorporated into a participatory action research (PAR) project to foster alternate stories of hope in addressing bullying and other aggressive actions. Results indicate that narrative therapy, when incorporated into a PAR design, can assist with the…

The academic journey to become a professional counselor can be challenging for counselors-in-training (CIT), adversely affecting their physical health, mental health, and wellness. Counselor educators (CE) have recognized a need for wellness training and interventions to assist CIT during graduate school and to prepare them for their careers.…

Making images is an essential part of how art therapists learn about clients and explore new ideas. This same process can inform how art therapy researchers first engage with areas of interest for studies. A pre-research sketchbook or journal can guide the inquiry as a step prior to the literature review. This article reviews a creative…

Pediatric hospitalization is known to be associated with adverse developmental and psychosocial outcomes for young patients. Art therapy is a direct means of addressing the emotional world of the hospitalized child. However, the hospital setting sometimes requires adaptations of this practice to a short-term mode. To explore the characteristics of…

This article investigates the impact of arts-based therapies on incarcerated individuals within the Presidency Correctional Home in Kolkata with specific reference to Alokananda Roy's project 'Culture Therapy'. This programme for the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals through the arts is arguably the first of its kind in the Indian…

This case study explores the use of the Psychological First Aid (PFA) in the context of online art therapy with a 26-year-old woman undergoing home quarantine due to COVID-19 for two weeks after entering Korea from the United States. The client received a total of seven 60-minute sessions, which took place every other day. Her experience…

The DO ART ethical decision-making model for art therapy offers a series of steps and questions for considering dilemmas. However, there is a noticeable absence of art making in this process. There has been much literature indicating that art making informed by tenets of art therapy can provide valuable insight into decision-making, and help…

Nostalgic memories are highly social and revisiting them increases social connectedness and motivation. The present study offers a naturalistic approach to studying the social experience of nostalgia. Participants created scrapbooks in groups across three sessions over a period of six weeks. Nostalgia proneness, meaning, and social connection were…