International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape最新文献

{"title":"White privilege and art therapy in the UK: are we doing the work?","authors":"C. Eastwood","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1856159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1856159","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT White supremacy is a societal system that those with White privilege are born in to. Consideration of identity markers such as race, gender and class continue to be neglected in art therapy training and practice in the UK. Examining the social and political dimensions of individual experience can give greater context to trauma and oppression, as well as power as a socially constructed and relational entity, when we consider our clients, our colleagues and ourselves. This article engages in an epistemological discussion of practice exploring the ways in which the art therapy profession in the UK could greater engage in The Work and greater intersectional thinking, in honour of ethical practice and in support of social change. The Work is defined by People of Colour who are activists, educators and practitioners and describes the efforts of real allyship that white people show People of Colour. Theories of behaviour that perpetuate and bolster white supremacy, such as white privilege and white fragility are explored along with decolonising the visual realm and conceptions of therapist-activist work. Plain-language summary This article explores the concepts of White privilege and White supremacy currently and historically in the UK and how this may impact art therapy trainings, theories and practice with clients. This includes the way in which art therapists work with the art medium. Suggestions of how White art therapists may engage in The Work are explored. The Work is defined by activists, educators and practitioners who are People of Colour and describes the way in which White people may address their own part in a White supremacist society and how they can truly support People of Colour experiencing racism. Theories of behaviour such as White fragility are explored along with how they may manifest in the work of art therapists in training and practice. Intersectional thinking, which examines identities such as race, class, gender and sexuality, as they are simultaneously experienced, is considered as a self-reflexive tool that may support White art therapists in exploring their White privilege. Other key concepts of intersectional thinking are examined in relation to art therapy practice, such as acknowledging the social and political, social justice and therapist-activist work, constructs of power, and giving voice to marginalised communities. Video Abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1856159","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43176252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Art-based psychosocial interventions in Japan: cross-cultural encounters","authors":"T. Gavron, Takehiko Ito, Takayo Inoue","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1817959","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1817959","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background: This article describes a psychosocial art-based group intervention for professional caregivers in Japan led by Israeli and Japanese mental health professionals, and explores the cross-cultural dilemmas related to this intervention. Context: The interventions took place from 2012 to 2016 in response to the tsunami and its aftermath. Two case descriptions explore the role of art and the implementation of art therapy in Japanese culture. Approach: The art-based group interventions were developed in conjunction with local Japanese mental-health professionals and include individual and group artistic expression. Outcomes: Several dilemmas associated with the cross-cultural encounter emerged. These touch on the ways in which a culture-bound phenomenon such as art can relate to the development of coping methods attuned to Japanese culture. Conclusions: Although psychosocial art-based interventions may elicit cultural dilemmas as depicted here, joint art-making can function as a societal process that enables the expression of community trauma, and can contribute to building individual and shared resilience. Implications for research: It is likely that art-based interventions will be needed all over the world. Future studies should continue to identify the dilemmas associated with the adaptation of art-based psychosocial interventions as a function of individual cultures. Plain-language summary This article describes a series of psychosocial art-based interventions in Japan led by Israeli and Japanese mental health professionals and funded by IsraAID, an Israeli non-profit organization that works with natural disaster survivors. The interventions took place from 2012 to 2016 in response to the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and its aftermath. Local mental health professionals, health workers and educators collaborated with the IsraAID team to build a training programme using the arts, while at the same time providing self-care and support to these professionals who had experienced this disaster. The art-based group interventions methods are presented in vignettes from two groups, which highlight the role of art and the important cross-cultural aspects about these interventions. These case studies show that creating art together can serve a societal function and enable the expression of community trauma, while fostering individual and community resilience. As reflecting on the process, several dilemmas associated with the cross-cultural encounter in these art-based interventions came to the surface. Future researches could examine the participants' experiences in using art in trauma care, in the context of the cross- cultural encounter, by examining the long-term effects of these interventions. Video Abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo Video Abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1817959","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48304956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Online art therapy practice and client safety: a UK-wide survey in times of COVID-19","authors":"Ania Zubala, S. Hackett","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1845221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845221","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background The COVID-19 pandemic enforced a sudden change in practice and a move into online delivery for many art therapists in the UK, often with minimal guidance and little previous experience of remote delivery. Aims To explore ways in which practitioners adapted practice to ensure continuity of service and client safety at distance. Methods An online survey designed to explore practitioners’ perspectives and experiences of using digital technology in art therapy sessions with clients. Results Vast majority of 96 respondents reported having worked with clients online as a result of the pandemic. The respondents expressed concerns about safety of practice and their own confidence in delivering therapy remotely. Increased clinical supervision, specialist training, and support from colleagues were valued in the rapid transitioning to online practice. Conclusions A snap shot of art therapists’ responses to a need to adapt their practice due to the pandemic is presented, including approaches to working with technology and strategies that therapists employed to ensure their clients’ and own safety. Implications for practice/policy/future research Being able to offer a safe environment for clients is a priority for practitioners. Further research, guidance and training might offer the support needed for developing a suitably safe online practice. Plain-language summary Art therapists practice in the UK has until recently been primarily face to face, being in the same space with their clients while offering art therapy sessions and being able to observe how they use art materials to create artwork. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many UK-based art therapists needed to adopt creative approaches to make a rapid shift to delivering therapy online, often with minimal guidance and little previous experience of remote delivery. We have conducted an online survey to explore how art therapists have made changes in their practice and what has supported them in the process. 96 art therapists took part in the survey and shared their experiences and strategies that they have adopted to rapidly move to connecting with clients remotely. They have shared that safety of their clients was of key importance and showed how this concern has guided their transition into online practice. The respondents mentioned that clinical supervision and support from colleagues were helpful in ensuring safety of their clients and themselves. Since online art therapy is expected to continue beyond the pandemic, more research in the area is needed as well as guidance and training for art therapists that would increase their confidence in working with clients online.","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845221","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48759422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lifeline, frontline, online: adapting art therapy for social engagement across borders","authors":"M. Usiskin, B. Lloyd","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1845219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845219","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background: Art Refuge uses art and art therapy to support the mental health and well-being of people displaced due to conflict, persecution and poverty, both in the UK and internationally. Learning from its frontline programme in northern France has helped to inform the charity’s response to Covid19. Context: Social media and online communication are often lifelines for people who are displaced. Since March 2020, Art Refuge has extended its use of online platforms. Approach: Focusing on grounding techniques developed from the principles of Psychological First Aid, alongside the theme of daily rituals, the online work has used trauma-informed approaches to create viable spaces for social engagement alongside physical spaces: both require careful thinking to build safe, adaptive psychosocial structures, appropriate to context. Outcomes: These online models have limitations but also benefits: sustaining spaces in which individuals can find connection; developing new relationships while encouraging others; reaching people from a wide geographic area and across borders; partnership working which supports sustainability. Conclusions: As a result of Covid19, Art Refuge has developed new models for social engagement which include integration of both online and face-to-face models. The authors propose that these have relevance in both an emergency context and for wider application. Implications for research: Technological inequalities and issues of access need research, alongside robust evaluation studies on each model and research into whether these models can be usefully applied to other areas of practice. Plain-language summary Art Refuge uses art and art therapy to support the mental health and well-being of people displaced due to conflict, persecution and poverty, both in the UK and internationally. Our work in northern France since 2015 has included direct face-to-face models and using social media to engage people, delivered by a team of experienced art therapists and visual artists. The use of social media and online communication are often lifelines for staying in touch with family, friends and communities, alongside access to information and support, and Art Refuge has responded by being active online. Since Covid19, the charity has begun to see online work as having creative potential for social engagement, alongside working with people face-to-face. Both need careful thought as to how to build structures which are adaptive and appropriate to context, safe and accessible. This article focuses on how to create specific online models for social engagement, and the thinking and ethics behind these. This includes using grounding techniques developed from the principles of Psychological First Aid, alongside the theme of daily rituals. The work online has opened up possibilities: reaching people from different geographic places and across country borders; and working with individuals within other organisations which enables skills sharing ","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845219","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42636355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Online art therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"G. Miller, A. McDonald","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1846383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1846383","url":null,"abstract":"Video Abstract Watch the video on Vimeo","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1846383","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41853163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Military museum collections and art therapy as mental health resources for veterans with PTSD","authors":"J. Lobban, D. Murphy","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1845220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845220","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background A veterans’ mental health charity and Hampshire Cultural Trust collaborated to facilitate art therapy groups for veterans with service-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Aims The project aimed to improve the wellbeing of participants by tapping into their existing military knowledge, skills and expertise as a resource for mental health. Also, to explore how items from the museum collection might stimulate a sense of belonging that could moderate the isolating effects of PTSD, and later the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods Data was collected through established evaluation measures to rate wellbeing and loneliness, and through surveys tailored to the project. Focus groups and participant observation provided further data. Descriptive statistics of the quantitative data were then combined with thematic analysis of the overall data to provide the findings. Results Although military experiences were the cause of the veterans’ mental health problems, and traumatic memories became stirred through recollections triggered by the museum items, the evidence suggests that participants experienced a sense of belonging which promoted self-confidence and social interaction, and improved wellbeing. Conclusions Through familiarity with the function of the artefacts, in-depth contextual knowledge, and shared military experience, the veterans were able to connect through an exploratory process. This was the case when the group was museum-based and when held remotely. Implications Military museums are potential mental health reservoirs for veterans. Digital art therapy sessions offer a way of involving and supporting socially avoidant or isolated veterans who cannot physically attend groups, as well as those who live out of the area. Plain-language summary During 2019, a veterans’ mental health charity and Hampshire Cultural Trust collaborated to run art therapy groups for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with their military service. PTSD can have long-lasting consequences, such as social isolation and heightened anxiety. The project aimed to improve the wellbeing of participants by tapping into their existing military knowledge, skills and expertise as a resource for mental health. It was hoped that reconnecting with a range of memories from service life would counter-balance the weight of the distressing memories of military experiences that continued to have a detrimental effect. Each session involved looking at specific items from the museum’s collection; making a creative response through image-making or creative writing; and discussing ideas. The informality of the meetings where participants were encouraged to share their military knowledge, took the focus away from having mental health problems. Simultaneously, the effects of their psychological injuries were lessened by recognition and use of their specialist abilities. Results were promising. Although military experiences were the cause of the veteran","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845220","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46124157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19 transforms art therapy services in the Arabian Gulf","authors":"Natalia Gomez Carlier, S. Powell, M. El-Halawani, M. Dixon, A. Weber","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1845759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845759","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background Art therapy in the Arabian Gulf is still nascent. Context This article discusses the impact of COVID-19 and the development of art therapy in the region and identifies both the challenges and advantages that this global pandemic brought to a small group of art therapists practicing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. Approach Our approach is rooted in relational cultural theory (RCT). Outcomes For art therapists in a private practice in Dubai, the pandemic provided an opportunity to widen services and accessibility. In a hospital setting in Qatar, new regulations during the pandemic required adaptations that possibly contributed to stress and anxiety for the art therapist, patients, and health workers. Unexpected perceived changes included: highlighted stigma, increased openness, increased engagement, and change in perception of the art therapy service. Conclusions For these art therapists, practicing in the Arabian Gulf, the global pandemic increased awareness of cultural competence and led to the development of online art therapy services. Implications for research There is a dearth of art therapy research in the region. Future research on cultural competence and the efficacy of telehealth are recommended to develop a robust evidence base for the practice of art therapy in the Arabian Gulf. Plain-language summary Art therapy is relatively new in the Arabian Gulf, with most art therapists completing their training in the West. During the global pandemic and the changes caused by COVID-19, art therapists had the opportunity to address critical issues in their practice. This article presents two different views from two culturally similar Middle Eastern countries into what happened during the global pandemic of 2020. The first view describes how the pandemic brought about the development of online art therapy within a private practice in Dubai, UAE. The second view describes multiple adaptations to the delivery of art therapy within a hospital setting in Qatar. In the private practice, developing online art therapy became an opportunity to increase access for people residing outside of Dubai, in other emirates, and beyond. Art therapists also noticed how online art therapy may impact privacy, as clients could complete their sessions from their own homes, and stigma concerning mental health. At the hospital setting in Qatar, COVID-19 brought a new way of working focused on safety. The art therapist in Qatar discusses how these changes impacted her work and some of the perceived unexpected gains that resulted, such as more collaboration with other professionals, more engagement from the patients, and a new openness around mental health as the families could communicate about a shared concern: COVID-19. In both cases, the pandemic brought development and opportunities for growth. The article’s focus is to highlight the cultural differences of working in this region and to acknowledge the need for future research. Because ","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845759","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46162700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"‘Don’t look!’ An online art therapy group for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa","authors":"Lucy Shaw","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1845757","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845757","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background Delivering Art Psychotherapy online has become a necessary part of practice for many in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Art Psychotherapy practice and theory needs to be considered in light of this new way of working in addition to the impact on clients themselves. Context This paper considers an experience of delivering online group Art Psychotherapy to adolescents attending an NHS day service programme for Anorexia Nervosa. A case vignette of three group sessions is provided to illustrate the process. The experiences and reflections of three clients are reported. Approach The approach to the art therapy described is psychoanalytical as it focuses on importance of the relationship between the internal and external world and mentalization based as it aims to increase capacity to perceive and understand self and others. Outcome It is argued that there are additional considerations for this client group when working online including body image concerns and experience of gaze. Conclusion Consideration of the unique requirements of this client group are important when devising protocol for ways of delivering art therapy online. Implications for research Further research could consider, on a larger scale, the perspectives of clients with eating disorders on having art therapy delivered online. Plain-language summary This paper describes the set up and delivery of an online Art Psychotherapy group for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa as part of an NHS day service. The group ran for seven weeks and was attended by three clients. I outline the theoretical framework of my approach to delivering this intervention. Theories of containment, gaze and joint attention are highlighted as being particularly relevant for working with this client group online. I describe the experiences of the clients who attended as well as my process as the art therapist. I note the main themes arising from this group as an intensified experience of gaze, body image concerns and a desire for control over what might be seen or shown. I reflect on my experience of feeling deskilled and having to alter my process to adjust to working online. I conclude that when working with this client group online these are important considerations to bear in mind. Future research is needed to gather perspectives from clients with eating disorders regarding their experience of art therapy being delivered online.","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845757","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48530821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing an online art therapy group for learning disabled young adults using WhatsApp","authors":"Gillian W. Datlen, Chiara Pandolfi","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1845758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845758","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background: Learning Disabled (LD) adults commonly experience barriers accessing the same services as non-disabled adults. Communication issues may also contribute to difficulties forming relationships, leading to increased loneliness and isolation. Art therapy groups can help to counter social isolation, providing opportunities to creatively explore challenges within a therapeutic relationship. Context: This paper describes the development of online art therapy during the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using social media, an online group was developed from an existing studio group for LD clients at risk of isolation. Participants continue to take part and have consented to their images and viewpoints being used. Approach: Primarily influenced by studio models of art therapy, the original approach used is an enabling, art-based approach. After transitioning into online art therapy, art making remains central to the process and intersectionality and the role of touch are explored. Outcomes: Participants of the online group consistently engage, sharing creative responses via the social media platform, WhatsApp. Ongoing participation is perceived as a positive sign and members predominantly agree the adaptation is helpful, however, challenges gathering feedback have arisen. Conclusions: The use of online art therapy in an accessible format enables the group to continue accessing support during the pandemic. The variety of communication methods available on WhatsApp allows participants to remain included. Implications for research: Further research is required to establish whether this approach could be used as a template for other LD services and other client groups. Plain-language summary This paper describes the introduction of an online art therapy group to support young Learning Disabled adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online sessions were adapted from an existing studio art therapy group, in which five members met fortnightly in an artist community, with sessions facilitated by two art therapists and a support worker. Prior to the pandemic, Learning Disabled adults likely already had fewer opportunities to socialise. As a result, they may experience greater loneliness and social isolation. Communication issues and difficulties using technology also contribute to their widespread digital exclusion. In an ever-increasing digital era resulting from the pandemic, Learning Disabled adults are at higher risk of mental health issues. Hosting online sessions using the familiar and accessible social media platform, WhatsApp, allows our existing structure and aims to remain largely the same. This creates some sense of consistency in surreal and challenging circumstances. We describe the theoretical approaches which influenced our original model before outlining perspectives which inform and shape our online work. The practicalities of setting up the online group are summarised and online sessions are described with reference to","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1845758","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45288044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing art therapy practice within perinatal parent-infant mental health","authors":"D. Bruce, S. Hackett","doi":"10.1080/17454832.2020.1801784","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2020.1801784","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Background: Art therapy in perinatal parent-infant work is a developing area of practice in the UK. One in five mothers experience a mental illness during the perinatal period or during the early years following birth. It is likely that more than half of perinatal illness remains untreated. Parental stress and relational adversity are known to influence infant neurodevelopment. Context: This paper describes the introduction of art therapy in an NHS perinatal parent-infant mental health outpatient facility. The department concerned authorised an art therapy service evaluation during 2017. Views and experiences of nine mothers with mental health issues, who attended the service with their babies, were collected and are included here. Approach: The approach to perinatal parent-infant art therapy described is systemic in that it is underpinned by the concept of ecosystem and psychodynamic because it is informed by transgenerational relational effects that a parent’s mind has on an infant’s developing personality. Outcomes: The mothers who attended this perinatal parent-infant art therapy service felt their views and worries were considered and they perceived art therapy as helpful. Positive changes perceived by mothers include better self-understanding, comprehension of problems, positive mood changes, and improved interrelations with their babies. Conclusions: The mothers who experienced this innovative approach perceived the sessions as helpful in relation to their perinatal parent-infant mental health. Art therapy was well supported within the interdisciplinary perinatal parent-infant service. Implications for research: Further research is now needed to test clinical effectiveness and the potential for intergenerational repair. Plain-language summary This paper describes the introduction of art therapy in an NHS perinatal parent-infant mental health outpatient service. This facility is one of only a few in the UK which provides both a perinatal and a parent-infant service for parents with mental health and bonding issues. The perinatal period lasts from around twenty-weeks before to twenty-weeks after birth. One in five mothers suffer a mental illness during this time or during the early years of their infant’s development. It is likely that more than half of perinatal illnesses remains untreated. Here we outline the underlying theoretical framework of this approach to perinatal parent-infant art therapy before describing the experiences and views of nine mothers who attended the service with their babies and agreed to take part in a service review authorised by the department. We asked one mother to talk about how difficult memories sometimes got in the way of the relationship she had with her new baby. She told us how art therapy and art making helped her express her thoughts and feelings outwardly. This gave her more ‘head space’ to think about what her baby needed to develop healthily. All mothers who attended this service felt their ","PeriodicalId":39969,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/17454832.2020.1801784","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43615096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}