the art of art therapy

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302 BOOK REVIEWS 7. Acknowledge that every person is in control of his life to the extent that he is willing to be aware of and take responsibility for his life. 8. Recognize that every person is composed of the child, the adolescent, and the young, middle-aged, and older adult. 9. Perceive all experiences as opportunities for growth. Chapter X deals with health programs for resi- dential care, long-term care and day treatment facilities. These programs are holistic in ap- proach and, used with an appropriate population, would be of value to therapists and health care professionals. Weiss explains that he was working with pa- tients of different ages--young adults to the extreme aged. One would like to know if the methodology used with a depressed person of 30 differed from that used with an aged patient. On occasion Weiss uses mystic symbolism, for example, -The therapist must be the watch- man in the forest for the traveler in the night." 1 would have preferred a more clinical analogy. The forgotten and rejected patients described in this work were indeed fortunate to have a therapist with the perception, empathy and com- passion of Jules Weiss. Helen Weil, MA, ATR Art Therapist, Marble Hill Senior Citizens Center New York City The Art of Art Therapy Judith Aron Rubin (New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1984, 270 pages, $25) A great service has been rendered, not only to art therapists, but to all providers of human health care by the writing of this book. Its text is filled with the practicality of long clinical experi- ence, the sensitive integration of knowledge from the fields of art, art therapy, and psychoanalysis, and the wisdom of knowing what is needed to be known. Dr. Rubin begins from the center and not the fringe of the art therapy experience and teaches its lessons with clarity and artistry. It is a book badly needed by the art therapy profession as it comprehensively moves beyond the usual description of client/patient interaction, case studies, and pictorial analysis into the realm of conceptionalization. With great skill the author guides the reader through the various dimensions of what she feels is needed to be known in order to optimally function in the role of an art thera- pist, not only as a deliverer of direct services to clients, but in the adjunct roles of teacher, supervisor, consultant, and researcher. The style of the book is that of a Mark Rothko painting that distills ideas into their essence, and presents them with clarity for reflection. There is no filler in the text. Short clinical illustrations are used to illuminate an idea and are not presented for themselves, which is a relief in the art therapy literature. The book is divided into five sections, starting with the art part, the therapy part, and the inter- face between these two aspects of treatment. Section Four deals with indirect services of teaching, supervising, consulting, research and theory. The final section focuses on the dimen- sions of application, touching on populations, settings, and modes. Dr. Rubin approaches the topic by speaking specifically to what you need to know about materi~d usage and what you need to know about processes and art products. Throughout the text she maintains a position that art therapy is distinguished from other forms of therapy by the centrality of the art process. Over and over the artist as therapist speaks about "real" insight and ~'real" knowing derived from the combination of thinking and experiencing. Adding to the richness of her observations is the obvious influence of her more recent psychoana- lytic training. It is refreshing as an art therapist to

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Page 1: The art of art therapy

302 BOOK R E V I E W S

7. Acknowledge that every person is in control of his life to the extent that he is willing to be aware of and take responsibility for his life.

8. Recognize that every person is composed of the child, the adolescent, and the young, middle-aged, and older adult.

9. Perceive all experiences as opportunities for growth.

Chapter X deals with health programs for resi- dential care, long-term care and day t reatment facilities. These programs are holistic in ap- proach and, used with an appropriate population, would be of value to therapists and health care professionals.

Weiss explains that he was working with pa- tients of different a g e s - - y o u n g adults to the

ex t reme aged. One would like to know if the methodology used with a depressed person of 30 differed f rom that used with an aged patient.

On occasion Weiss uses mystic symbol ism, for example , - T h e therapist must be the watch- man in the forest for the t raveler in the night ." 1 would have preferred a more clinical analogy.

The forgotten and rejected patients described in this work were indeed fortunate to have a therapist with the perception, empathy and com- passion of Jules Weiss.

Helen Weil, MA, ATR Art Therapist , Marble Hill

Senior Citizens Center New York City

The Art of Art Therapy

Judith Aron Rubin

(New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1984, 270 pages, $25)

A great service has been rendered, not only to art therapists , but to all providers of human health care by the writing of this book. Its text is filled with the practicality of long clinical experi- ence, the sensitive integration of knowledge f rom the fields of art, art therapy, and psychoanalysis , and the wisdom of knowing what is needed to be known. Dr. Rubin begins from the center and not the fringe of the art therapy exper ience and teaches its lessons with clarity and artistry. It is a book badly needed by the art therapy profession as it comprehens ive ly moves beyond the usual description of client/patient interaction, case studies, and pictorial analysis into the realm of conceptionalizat ion. With great skill the author guides the reader through the various dimensions of what she feels is needed to be known in order to optimally function in the role of an art thera- pist, not only as a del iverer of direct services to clients, but in the adjunct roles of teacher , supervisor , consultant , and researcher . The style of the book is that of a Mark Rothko painting that distills ideas into their essence, and presents them with clarity for reflection. There is no filler

in the text. Short clinical illustrations are used to illuminate an idea and are not presented for themselves , which is a relief in the art therapy literature.

The book is divided into five sections, starting with the art part, the therapy part, and the inter- face between these two aspects of t reatment . Section Four deals with indirect services of teaching, supervising, consulting, research and theory. The final section focuses on the dimen- sions of application, touching on populations, settings, and modes. Dr. Rubin approaches the topic by speaking specifically to what you need to know about materi~d usage and what you need to know about processes and art products. Throughout the text she maintains a position that art therapy is distinguished f rom other forms of therapy by the centrality of the art process. Over and over the artist as therapist speaks about " r e a l " insight and ~'real" knowing derived from the combinat ion of thinking and experiencing. Adding to the richness of her observat ions is the obvious influence of her more recent psychoana- lytic training. It is refreshing as an art therapist to

Page 2: The art of art therapy

BOOK REVIEWS 303

read material by a psychoanalyst that does not speak down to the art therapy but rather speaks up to the process.

-Three chapters in particular are especially rich and I believe should be required reading not only for the training of students but for those of us who have practiced for many years. These are chapter seven--"Knowing Art Therapy," chap- ter 12--"Working Artistically," and chapter 17--"Knowing Theory," for within these pages she gets to the real bedrock upon which all else is built. In knowing about art therapy she recog- nizes there is more to good practice than what you know--there are the additional issues of what you believe, such as: "the need, the right, and the ability of every human being to be crea- tive," and what you need to be, in terms of per- sonality characteristics, such as: "fluency, flex- ibility, originality, and the ability to take risks, to tolerate ambiguity, and to regress in the service of the ego."

She goes on to define a philosophical stance based on a careful analysis of the process and

what affects change in human beings. Included are the externalization of the self, self-reflection, fusion or elimination of boundaries, near free- dom experiences, the drawing on all aspects of the mind requiring forming and synthesizing, turning loose controls, and the multiple dimen- sions of the interpersonal relationship between client and the therapist.

The other chapters of the book, including the final section on applications, are filled with a practical wisdom from having practiced what she preaches. Finally, as a bonus, she includes an appendix of suggested readings that are in them- selves very rich. I commend the author not only for her skill and wisdom, but her generosity in sharing with all of us her years of knowing, and the humility and modesty for speaking to the im- portance of continued striving to know more.

Robert E. Ault, MFA, ATR The Menninger Foundation

Box 829 Topeka, Kansas 66601

The Music Came ji'om Deep Inside: A Sto O, ~fArtists and Severely Handicapped Children

Junius Eddy / photographs by Roger Vaughan / introduction by Robert Coles

(New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982, 179 pages, $16.95)

The book's title may make the reader expect a story of music, but actually music shares the limelight in this remarkable report with three other media: dance, drama and the visual arts. It is a report on an innovative government initiative that enlisted the help of a group of artists, making their talents and particular approaches available to institutions of special education. The project, ~A Model Program of Arts to Enhance Living and Learning for Severely and Profoundly Handicapped Children and Youth," was under- taken by the National Committee, Arts for the Handicapped.

Specialists of this area will be served by the publication's detailed technical data on organ- ization, therapy methods, and evaluation. The value of the book, however, greatly transcends

that of a cut-and-dried professional account. It is pervaded by the poignancy, the human implica- tions of an encounter with the mentally and phys- ically most deprived institutionalized youngsters. The author, Junius Eddy, combines his training as an art educator and journalist with the naive freshness and the spirit of discovery of an ex- plorer entering an unknown continent. He is thus the perfect guide for anybody looking for an in- troduction to educational work with the most seriously retarded. The lively photographs of Roger Vaughan give visual presence to the story: the forever smiling faces of the devoted teachers and the beautiful concentration so evident in the children.

How much like the first contact with a foreign country is Eddy's initial response: ~'Partly it's