Tessa Dalley

The Handbook of Art Therapy has become the standard introductory text into the theory and practice of art therapy in a variety of settings. The comprehensive book concentrates on the work of art therapists and the way that art and therapy can combine in a treatment setting to promote insight and change. In this fourth edition, readers will gain both a historical overview of art therapy and insight into contemporary settings in which art therapists work, with a new chapter on the use of new technology and working online. The authors are highly experienced in the teaching, supervision and clinical practice of art therapy. Using first-hand accounts from therapists and patients, they look particularly at the role of the art work in the art process and setting in which it takes place. Chapters explore the theoretical background from which art therapy has developed and the implications for practice including the influence of art and psychoanalysis, creativity, aesthetics and symbolism, and the impact of different schools of psychoanalytic theory. Also featured is an extensive bibliography, encompassing a comprehensive coverage of the current literature on art therapy and related subjects. Covering basic theory and practice for clinicians and students at all levels of training, this book remains a key text for art therapists, counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and students at all levels, as well as professionals working in other arts therapies.

The Handbook of Art Therapy has become the standard introductory text into the theory and practice of art therapy in a variety of settings. The comprehensive book concentrates on the work of art therapists and the way that art and therapy can combine in a treatment setting to promote insight and change. In this fourth edition, readers will gain both a historical overview of art therapy and insight into contemporary settings in which art therapists work, with a new chapter on the use of new technology and working online. The authors are highly experienced in the teaching, supervision and clinical practice of art therapy. Using first-hand accounts from therapists and patients, they look particularly at the role of the art work in the art process and setting in which it takes place. Chapters explore the theoretical background from which art therapy has developed and the implications for practice including the influence of art and psychoanalysis, creativity, aesthetics and symbolism, and the impact of different schools of psychoanalytic theory. Also featured is an extensive bibliography, encompassing a comprehensive coverage of the current literature on art therapy and related subjects. Covering basic theory and practice for clinicians and students at all levels of training, this book remains a key text for art therapists, counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and students at all levels, as well as professionals working in other arts therapies.

Working through the process of image-making in a therapeutic relationship, the art therapist is able to explore feelings, fantasies, and myths in different setting with diverse client groups. Originally published in 1987 Images of Art Therapy is a collection of essays by experienced art therapists which discuss and develop both theoretical and practical issues central to art therapy. The authors describe how they work through the use of illustrated case material which includes children, adolescents, and adults, in normal schools, psychiatric hospitals, therapeutic communities, and out-patient clinics. Theoretical considerations include bereavement, play, transference, symbolism, and verbal versus non-verbal communication. The first book on art therapy, Art as Therapy, edited by Tessa Dalley, was a useful introduction to the subject. Images of Art Therapy expands the issues raised in the earlier book in more depth, and developed new and innovative ideas which it was hoped at the time, would influence both the theory and practice of art therapy in the future.

The image, the client and the therapist are three essential aspects of the art therapy relationship; each has a separate ‘voice’. In this book, originally published in 1993, the three voices come alive as the client, Kim, and the therapist, Gabrielle, tell the story of his path from suicidal despair to health and creativity through a series of extraordinary images. The images, chosen to represent the stages of Kim’s therapeutic experience, speak for themselves and convey their importance as a powerful catalyst for change. An outer voice, that of Tessa Dalley, provides a theoretical commentary on the process as it occurs, adding to the understanding of what is happening in the therapeutic encounter. This fully rounded account of clinical practice in art therapy offers a rare insight into common issues and dilemmas which will make the book of interest to both professional and non-professional readers alike.

Working through the process of image-making in a therapeutic relationship, the art therapist is able to explore feelings, fantasies, and myths in different setting with diverse client groups. Originally published in 1987 Images of Art Therapy is a collection of essays by experienced art therapists which discuss and develop both theoretical and practical issues central to art therapy. The authors describe how they work through the use of illustrated case material which includes children, adolescents, and adults, in normal schools, psychiatric hospitals, therapeutic communities, and out-patient clinics. Theoretical considerations include bereavement, play, transference, symbolism, and verbal versus non-verbal communication. The first book on art therapy, Art as Therapy, edited by Tessa Dalley, was a useful introduction to the subject. Images of Art Therapy expands the issues raised in the earlier book in more depth, and develops new and innovative ideas which it was hoped, at the time, would influence both the theory and practice of art therapy in the future.

The image, the client and the therapist are three essential aspects of the art therapy relationship; each has a separate ‘voice’. In this book, originally published in 1993, the three voices come alive as the client, Kim, and the therapist, Gabrielle, tell the story of his path from suicidal despair to health and creativity through a series of extraordinary images. The images, chosen to represent the stages of Kim’s therapeutic experience, speak for themselves and convey their importance as a powerful catalyst for change. An outer voice, that of Tessa Dalley, provides a theoretical commentary on the process as it occurs, adding to the understanding of what is happening in the therapeutic encounter. This fully rounded account of clinical practice in art therapy offers a rare insight into common issues and dilemmas which will make the book of interest to both professional and non-professional readers alike.