With accounts from Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Israel and South Africa, this book vividly illustrates the therapeutic power of art making and art therapy in helping individuals, families and communities cope with experiences of political violence.

This dissertation, "Inhabited Studio: Art Therapy and Mindfulness With Survivors of Political Violence" by Debra, Kalmanowitz, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: The objective of this study is to understand the ways in which art therapy and mindfulness meditation form a working model specific to the context of political violence and refugees. This is a qualitative phenomenological study based on the social constructivist paradigm. Twelve refugees in Hong Kong from multiple cultures took part in two intensive full two-day art therapy and mindfulness meditation workshops over the space of eight days. In an art therapy studio (later called the Inhabited Studio) participants engaged in art making that stimulated imagination and in mindfulness meditation practice. The research looks at how participants responded to the approach, what their perceptions were and what they found useful. Different aspects of the Inhabited Studio appealed to participants based on their specific worldview, culture, religion, and coping style. Responses to the Inhabited Studio are organized into seven thematic clusters: five of these are organized in two broad categories composed of personal elements (memory, identity) and mediating aspects (emotional/self-regulation, communication, imagination) and the final two, resilience and worldview, span both categories. Participants found the Inhabited Studio culturally compatible and some of the acquired skills helpful in times of stress, indicating the contribution of this combination to enhancing coping and to building resilience. Subjects: Political refugees - Counseling of Meditation Art therapy

This dissertation, "Inhabited Studio: Art Therapy and Mindfulness With Survivors of Political Violence" by Debra, Kalmanowitz, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: The objective of this study is to understand the ways in which art therapy and mindfulness meditation form a working model specific to the context of political violence and refugees. This is a qualitative phenomenological study based on the social constructivist paradigm. Twelve refugees in Hong Kong from multiple cultures took part in two intensive full two-day art therapy and mindfulness meditation workshops over the space of eight days. In an art therapy studio (later called the Inhabited Studio) participants engaged in art making that stimulated imagination and in mindfulness meditation practice. The research looks at how participants responded to the approach, what their perceptions were and what they found useful. Different aspects of the Inhabited Studio appealed to participants based on their specific worldview, culture, religion, and coping style. Responses to the Inhabited Studio are organized into seven thematic clusters: five of these are organized in two broad categories composed of personal elements (memory, identity) and mediating aspects (emotional/self-regulation, communication, imagination) and the final two, resilience and worldview, span both categories. Participants found the Inhabited Studio culturally compatible and some of the acquired skills helpful in times of stress, indicating the contribution of this combination to enhancing coping and to building resilience. Subjects: Political refugees - Counseling of Meditation Art therapy

This edited book documents how the field of art therapy is taking shape as both a profession and a discipline across Asia. It explores how art therapists in the East are assimilating Western models and adapting them to create unique and inspirational new approaches that both East and West can learn from.

Witnessing cruelty scars our psyche for life, and the emotional pain and triggers remain untouched and keep us in limbo between two split selves, victim and survivor. This book is a self-discovery and self-healing process for all witnesses to cruelty which makes all of us. This book reveals the roles of religion and politics which intentionally create fear and confusion in mass. Any act of political and religious violence not only creates psychological scars and devastation in specific targeted group but also it hurts all the witnesses from around the world who are exposed to news through media. This book creates awareness and provides healing tools which leads to revelation of old confused abode of a witness, it frees us from helplessness and hopelessness stance and empowers us to bring upon change in our consciousness and as the result in our outside world.

Angelic demons : the capricious creators -- Continuing the dance : how art therapy both reveals and mitigates violence and aggression.

Social Action Art Therapy in a Time of Crisis outlines theories and models of social action art therapy, identifies its application in times of crisis, and explores the ways in which art therapy can work effectively for individuals and groups experiencing crisis. Drawing upon various ecologies, climate psychology, and eco-art therapy, this book addresses various responses to climate change, including notions of belonging, the physicality of experience, and the role of imagination in creating alternative versions of the future. The author presents a social action approach to art therapy as a way of addressing the political and collective components of climate change as well as the individual and emotional components. To help explore what social action art therapy can offer in this time of crisis, the author illustrates examples that show how the ideas have been used in other moments of crisis, including asylum, refuge, and domestic abuse. This innovative book contributes to the development of contemporary art therapy practice and will be of interest to arts therapists, arts psychotherapists, expressive therapists, ecotherapists, ecopsychologists, arts-based researchers, and many more.

This groundbreaking book introduces and researches art therapy as a creative and effective treatment for the sensitive and pertinent issue of human sex trafficking. Rich empirical examples and best practices are provided through the contributors’ expertise and knowledge in the field of art therapy. Art therapy facilitates emotional catharsis, a personal sense of worth and empowerment through making choices; supports connection to others and the inner self; resolves trauma, grief, and shame; and provides hope for the future and recovery. This book explores art therapy interventions and outcomes through detailed case studies for sex trafficking survivors in the United States, India, and Nepal, and includes international recommendations for survivor treatment and recovery, as well as staff support programming. Professional helpers and learners from mental health, social services, medical care, and those who work with trafficking and sexual abuse survivors will benefit from this guide.

Art Psychotherapy and Innovation captures the range of activity at the vanguard of practice and research in the field. Reflecting the sector's increasing focus on ways of fostering psychological health, wellbeing and social engagement in a wider context, it examines how to adapt to an increasing demand for therapeutic interventions worldwide. This includes collaboration with arts and health practitioners to ensure evidence-based practice with safe and ethical therapeutic boundaries and which draws on art psychotherapists' intensive clinical training. Tethered to the wider context for innovation in art psychotherapy through theoretical discussion, this edited collection presents case studies of innovative work in relation to new territories (client groups and locations), new techniques in approaches to practice, and engagement with contemporary technologies and cross-disciplinary working.