{"title":"Art therapists’ perspectives on working with a central issue in time-limited art therapy","authors":"Rotem Abraham , Dafna Regev , Sharon Snir","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102346","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102346","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explored art therapists' perspectives on working with the central issue in Time-Limited Art Therapy (TLAT), a structured short-term framework grounded in Mann’s Time-Limited Psychotherapy (TLP; Mann, 1973). While previous research has noted the benefits of short-term art therapy, structured conceptualizations of such approaches remain under-researched. The study examined how art therapists initially formulated and then collaboratively refined and engaged with the central issue across TLAT. Attention was given to the role of artmaking in illuminating emotional and self-related aspects of the central issue, maintaining therapeutic focus, and fostering change. This study was conducted in an art therapy research clinic in a college setting, where nine art therapists delivered 26-session individual TLAT treatments. Data collection included semi-structured interviews at three phases of therapy (post-intake, mid-therapy, post-termination) and 290 process journals written by the therapists. These materials were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) to identify key domains, core ideas, and themes related to therapeutic work with the central issue. The analysis revealed five interrelated domains: the integration of art in the intake phase, formulating the central issue, delivering the central issue to the client, the significance of the central issue during therapy and at termination, and the meaning of therapy in terms of the central issue. Overall, structured work on the central issue, supported by artmaking, appeared to deepen emotional exploration and promote client self-awareness, relational growth, and therapeutic progress. These findings underscore the potential of TLAT, as a dynamic art therapy approach, to optimize outcomes within time-limited treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102346"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144895104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of themed open art studio for day hospice patients","authors":"Leng Hong Ong","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102345","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates the impact of themed open art studios on emotional well-being among 20 terminally ill patients in day hospice care (mean age 73.1; 67 % female). Participants engaged in a series of creative sessions over three months, centered on themes of “Self,” “Gratitude,” and “Hope.” Participants rated their emotional states before and after each session using a simple 0–5 Likert scale. Statistical analysis revealed a significant overall improvement in well-being (mean increase +0.52 points, <em>p</em> < .001). The “Self” theme yielded the largest gains (+0.9 points), likely due to its emphasis on introspection and self-compassion, followed by “Gratitude” (+0.7) and “Hope” (+0.1). Notably, male participants showed greater emotional improvement than females (<em>p</em> = .012), suggesting cultural norms around gendered emotional expression may influence outcomes. Participants reported high satisfaction with the program with regards to creative freedom (mean rating 4.09/5), feelings of achievement (3.89), self-reflection (3.88), social connection (3.82), and renewed meaning in life (4.09). Findings demonstrate the potential of art studios in fostering emotional resilience, personal insight, and social bonding within palliative care. By integrating themed art studios into routine care, hospices may better address the complex psychosocial dimensions of terminal illness, empowering patients to navigate their journeys with agency and dignity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102345"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144903975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“I wanted to do something that mattered:” An interpretative phenomenological analysis of career change to music therapy","authors":"Michael J. Silverman , Lorna E. Segall","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102343","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102343","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Career change is typically a complex process requiring additional education and financial resources. To date, there is a lack of literature investigating the lived experience of people who changed careers from another profession to music therapy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of people who changed careers to music therapy. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with nine participants who had previously been in other professions and changed careers to music therapy. All participants received their academic and clinical training in the United States. We used interpretive phenomenological analysis to analyze data. Participants member checked the findings to ensure our analyses were trustworthy. We identified 12 themes and organized them into three sequential superordinate themes: 1) Seeking meaningful change (negative experiences in previous career, influential experiences leading to music therapy, learning about music therapy, desiring a meaningful career helping people with music); 2) Making the transition (financial stress, coursework and internship challenges, suggested curricular changes, generalizable aspects of former career); and 3) Finding fulfillment (positive educational experiences, the ability to use music within a career, the supportive music therapy community, making a positive impact with service users). Participants tended to change careers to music therapy because they sought professional meaning and wanted music to be part of their profession. Participants reflected on their positive music therapy education experiences and how they found professional fulfillment in their music therapy careers. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102343"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"MacKenzie and Livesley on stage: Group development through Psychotherapeutic Playback Theatre","authors":"Nir Raz , Ronen Kowalsky , Shoshi Keisari","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102344","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102344","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article explores the use of Psychotherapeutic Playback Theater (PPT), a drama therapeutic approach that integrates unscripted theatrical improvisation with group therapy processes. The paper draws upon clinical experience and conceptual reflection from an ongoing PPT group. Derived from Playback Theater, which emerged in the 1970s, PPT involves the spontaneous creation of theatrical responses to personal stories shared by group members. PPT is designed within a closed, ongoing group setting, where members alternate between roles as tellers, performers, and spectators. The process centers on group dynamics and the interaction of individual experiences with collective narratives, and the process of narrative reticulation. This article discusses the unique therapeutic benefits of PPT, focusing on how various theatrical forms, such as Choir, Duet, and Talking Heads, facilitate group development by engaging the psychological material of the participants. Additionally, the paper aligns these forms with MacKenzie and Livesley’s model of group development, illustrating their utility in addressing specific developmental tasks at each stage. By utilizing theatrical forms as interventions, the conductor helps guide the group through phases of engagement, differentiation, individuation, intimacy, mutuality, and termination. Clinical vignettes are used to demonstrate how these forms support the group’s emotional and interpersonal growth. The potential of PPT to enhance empathy, communication, and self-expression within therapeutic groups is highlighted, alongside its capacity to mirror and expand personal stories, thus fostering individual and collective transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102344"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"‘More than a sound’: Tone as affective encounter in music therapy in prison","authors":"Kjetil Hjørnevik","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Whilst tonal qualitites in music are deeply entangled with timbral, textural, acoustic and sonic properties, tone also represents aspects of artistic identity, expression, cultural belonging and musical style. In this article I explore the therapeutic significance of tone for two music therapy participants playing the electric bass guitar in a low security Scandinavian prison. Through the presentation of three case examples drawn from a larger ethnographic study I show how the participants developed signature bass tones through specific techniques and the use of audio signal processing, and how their tone emerged as central to their experience and performance of identity. The article shows how interpersonal relationships, intimacy and community were established, mediated and consolidated in the active and shared pursuit of tonal characteristics. The article discusses the significance of tone as <em>affective encounter</em> in popular music-based music therapy practices and suggests a notion of tone as a facet of musical identity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102342"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144880234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Filippo Giordano , Timothy Trevor-Briscoe , Chiara Rutigliano , Paola Muggeo , Ornella Aledda , Luca Borgonovi , Diego Campanelli , Lorenzo Capolsini , Laura Catapano , Maria Rita Di Pasquale , Davide Ferrari , Vitaliano Nicola Quaranta , Adriano Mastrolorenzo , Paolo Rossetti Murittu , Letizia Scaringella , Barbara Zanchi , Nicola Santoro , Simone Cesar
{"title":"A multicentric survey of the experience and perception of medical music therapy among health professionals in Italian AIEOP paediatric cancer centres","authors":"Filippo Giordano , Timothy Trevor-Briscoe , Chiara Rutigliano , Paola Muggeo , Ornella Aledda , Luca Borgonovi , Diego Campanelli , Lorenzo Capolsini , Laura Catapano , Maria Rita Di Pasquale , Davide Ferrari , Vitaliano Nicola Quaranta , Adriano Mastrolorenzo , Paolo Rossetti Murittu , Letizia Scaringella , Barbara Zanchi , Nicola Santoro , Simone Cesar","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102331","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102331","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Medical music therapy (MMT) is employed as a non-pharmacological therapy to contrast and prevent somatic and psychological symptoms in children affected by cancer. Doctors, nurses, and psychologists (DNP) are systematically involved in both paediatric cancer care (PCC) and exposed to MMT. The aim of this survey was to assess perception, satisfaction, and real-life experiences of MMT reported by DNS working in Italian paediatric cancer centres.</div><div>A 16-question survey was prepared to investigate staff knowledge of MMT, perception of its integration into the team, perception of the effects of MMT on patients and on the staff themselves. Parameters included the ward environment, coping, social interaction, mood, invasive procedures, stress, anxiety, and pain. Hours of MMT provided in the ward, and the possibility of staff being involved in MMT training or practical activities tailored for DNP, were also investigated.</div><div>186 out of 310 participants responded to the survey. 179 full analysis set were carried out. Completion rate was 60 %, and response rate was 57.7 %.</div><div>DNP considered MMT to be an effective therapeutic intervention to promote coping, social interaction, and improve mood and atmosphere. DNP considered MMT as a tool to reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue, both during invasive procedures and for disease/therapy-induced pain.</div><div>A gap was found concerning integration of MMT into the team. More hours of MMT were required by DNP.</div><div>Encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration among music therapists and DNP can improve the overall effectiveness of PCC. Healthcare organisations could considerably increase MMT inclusion in PCC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102331"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144771714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"'These women’s voices': The experiences of homeless women who participated in the \"Halalu\" women’s choir","authors":"Dana Pney-Gil , Cochavit Elefant , Michal Bat Or","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102333","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102333","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of the present study was to examine the experiences of homeless women participating in the Halalu Women's Choir community program, and to explore the choir’s potential as a model for art-based therapeutic rehabilitation programs for underprivileged women. The study implemented a qualitative ethnographic approach involving participant observation, a semi-structured in-depth focus group interview with the choir members, and an in-depth interview with the choir conductor. Twelve homeless women and a conductor took part in the women’s choir activity on a weekly basis. An Interpretive Phenomenological analysis of the data yielded four themes: a) the choir serving as a home; b) the choir serving as a social anchor; c) the choir as a place where participants can be seen and heard; and d) the development as a group. The research findings reveal the inherent potential of community music programs as meaningful therapeutic rehabilitation tools for homeless women. They highlight the uniqueness of the Halalu choir model and demonstrate the meaningfulness of the queer feminist rehabilitation approach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102333"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144758061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrating social arts into creative arts therapies training: Teachers' and students' perspectives","authors":"Noa Shefi , Hod Orkibi , Ephrat Huss","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, fine arts education has shifted toward socially engaged practices—moving beyond the studio to embrace art as a vehicle for social transformation. This turn toward participatory and community-based approaches has also begun to influence creative arts therapies (CATs), where increasing attention is being given to the social dimensions of therapeutic artmaking. Within this context, Social Arts (SA) have emerged as a subfield of participatory arts involving collaboration between socially engaged professionals and non-professionals. Through co-creative processes, SA promotes personal growth, social inclusion, and collective change. Despite growing interest, research on integrating SA into CATs remains limited. This qualitative study investigated SA within CATs Israeli curricula by analyzing course structures, content, and methodologies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight SA teachers and 14 SA students, alongside a review of SA syllabi. To ensure credibility, the study used triangulation across datasets and member-checking to reduce confirmation bias and verify interpretations. Three main themes emerged: (1) teachers’ search for meaning as a driving force, (2) training students to become agents of social change, and (3) challenges in SA training courses. These findings illustrate how SA is being embedded into CATs Master's programs in Israel, offering a unique merger of therapeutic practice and social activism. Further research should explore a broader range of international CATs programs that include SA components, evaluating their impact. Additionally, developing standardized tools to measure SA’s multifaceted effects could support their recognition and integration not only within CATs education and practice but also across related disciplines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102332"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144880235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Social action art therapy as an intervention for compassion fatigue” [The Arts in Psychotherapy 50 (2016) 34–39]","authors":"Emily Reim Ifrach, Abbe Miller","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102330","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102330","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102330"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring play-based interventions with war-affected children: A scoping review","authors":"Jemma Moody-Pugh , Kate Renshaw , Judi Parson","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102337","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102337","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>War-affected children, including those living with ongoing war and conflict and refugee children who have fled to safety experience the impacts of trauma associated with violence, displacement, grief and loss. This scoping review, guided by the JBI Scoping Review Methodology (2015) and PRISMA guidelines, explores play-based interventions with war-affected children to support recovery from the impacts of trauma. 81 articles were identified in the initial search and 19 studies were screened in for review. Studies were coded against Paris Goodyear-Brown’s TraumaPlay Model (2010) to determine the suitability of play-based interventions, including play therapy, with this population. Aligned with three stages of the refugee experience– living with ongoing conflict, in transit and post-resettlement – the TraumaPlay Model offers a scaffolded approach to reintegrate play into the lives of war-affected children and their families. The findings indicate that small bursts of play during ongoing conflict may support a felt sense of safety in children. Additionally, a focus on play to enhance relational safety between children and adults, is important to support attachment and bonding. In the transit stages, the literature suggests the possibility to move towards enhancing children’s emotional literacy and soothing trauma responses. Once environmental safety has been achieved post-resettlement, more targeted play therapy interventions with children, groups and families may be appropriate. Further research into play and play therapy with this population is recommended with a focus on playful connections within family systems and communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"95 ","pages":"Article 102337"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}