Group Art Therapy: Practice and Research is the first textbook of its kind, taking into account practice-based evidence and using a transtheoretical approach to present a range of art therapy group interventions. The book covers essential topics including leadership, art making, successful therapeutic factors, and the basic stages of developing and facilitating groups. Offering practical information not only to students but also to experienced practitioners, the chapters provide details about preparation and practice, note-taking and documentation, and research tips. Adhering to the most up-to-date educational standards and ethical codes of art therapy, the book covers the full range of settings and art therapy approaches. This text will prepare art therapy graduate students and practitioners to lead groups in a variety of settings, theoretical approaches, and applications.

This book presents a collection of practical exercises, games, structures and techniques for use by art therapists, teachers and other groupwork leaders working in schools, hospitals and day centres.

Leading art therapy groups is often a challenge, but as Bruce Moon so eloquently describes in this new second edition, making art in the context of others is an incredibly and almost inexplicably powerful experience. By placing the art at the center of practice, Art-Based Group Therapy creates an explanatory model and rationale for group practice that is rooted in art therapy theory and identity. There are four primary goals discussed in this text. First, an overview of essential therapeutic elements of art-based group work is provided. Second, a number of case vignettes that illustrate how therapeutic elements are enacted in practice are presented. Third, the author clearly differentiates art-based group therapy theory from traditional group psychotherapy theory. Fourth, the aspects of art-based group work and their advantages unique to art therapy are explored. Art-based group processes can be used to enhance participants' sense of community and augment educational endeavors, promote wellness, prevent emotional difficulties, and treat psychological behavioral problems. Artistic activity is used in art-based groups processes to: (1) create self-expression and to recognize the things group members have in common with one another; (2) develop awareness of the universal aspects of their difficulties as a means to identify and resolve interpersonal conflicts; (3) increase self-worth and alter self-concepts; (4) respond to others and express compassion for one another; and (5) clarify feelings and values. Through the author's effective use of storytelling, the reader encounters the group art therapy experience, transcending the case vignette and didactic instruction. Art-based group therapy can help group members achieve nearly any desired outcome, and/or address a wide range of therapeutic objectives. The book will be of benefit to students, practitioners, and educators alike. Using it as a guide, art therapy students may be more empowered to enter into the uncertain terrains of their practice grounded in a theory soundly based in their area of study. Practitioners will no doubt be encouraged, validated, and inspired to continue their work. The author succeeds in establishing a framework that allows art therapists to communicate the value of their work in a language that is unique to art therapy.

The first edition of Group Interactive Art Therapy presented the first theoretical formation of a model integrating the change-enhancing factors of both interactive group psychotherapy and art therapy, demonstrating its use in practice through a series of illustrated case examples. This long-awaited second edition updates the content of the original in light of the major social, cultural and political changes of the past two decades and presents new examples of the model in practice. The new edition includes a brand-new section on the use of group interactive art therapy in research with people with dementia, with schizophrenia, and those in rehabilitation from a stroke. The book also features two chapters on the use of the model in a broader context. The book is presented in four parts: Introducing group interactive art therapy The model in practice: case examples The wider context Group interactive art therapy used in research Each section demonstrates the flexibility and adaptability of the model in different cultural and social settings and with a variety of client groups. The development of knowledge about the skills required for conducting an interactive art therapy group and its suitability for different clients has been incorporated throughout the book, as well as practical information on working in areas where there is limited access to art materials.

Creative Arts-Based Group Therapy with Adolescents provides principles for effective use of different arts-based approaches in adolescent group therapy, grounding these principles in neuroscience and group process practice-based evidence. It includes chapters covering each of the main creative arts therapy modalities—art therapy, bibliotherapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, and poetry/expressive writing therapy—written by respected contributors who are expert in the application of these modalities in the context of groups. These methods are uniquely effective for engaging adolescents and addressing many of the developmental, familial, and societal problems that they face. The text offers theory and guiding principle, while also providing a comprehensive resource for group therapists of diverse disciplines who wish to incorporate creative arts-based methods into their practice with teens.

This book offers an illuminating insight into McNeilly's theories and practical applications of group art therapy in the context of significant developments in the field."

This book introduces the reader to the approach and general philosophy of the use of art as an additional language in group therapy. It demonstrates the usefulness of the language of art in enabling group therapists and their clients to understand group members' perceptions of constructs and realities.