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Creativity in Counseling

It’s the process, not the product that counts when it comes to creativity in counseling. And it’s a growing movement, but is it really anything new? Primary Topic:  Creativity read more

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So You Want to Be an Art Therapist, Part Six: Should I Get a Doctorate?

As King Lear said, “oh, that way madness lies”…well, maybe not in every single situation, but it’s complicated. Primary Topic:  Psych Careers read more

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So You Want to be an Art Therapist, Part Five: The Tale of Two Art Therapists

So can you find your heart’s desire as an art therapist in the 21st century? Here are two of the more oft-told career narratives I have encountered during the last several years. Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first? Primary To…

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So You Want to Be an Art Therapist, Part Three: The Art Therapy Credentials Maze

LPAT, ATR, ATR-BC, LPC, LMHC, LPCC…which letters after your name will get you your art therapist dream job? Primary Topic:  Therapy read more

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #1: The Art Therapist’s Third Hand

Cool Art Therapy Intervention #1 is not a technique or method, but the essence of what makes art therapists different from other professionals who use art in counseling, therapy and medicine. It’s called the “third hand” and it’s really art therapy’s v…

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #2: Active Imagination

Call it active imagination, free association, image dialogue, or even a rant. It’s about helping the image to speak your truths, whether through words, visualization, or another art form-and it’s one of the major centerpieces in the practice of art the…

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #3: It’s All About the Metaphor

Draw a person in the rain. Make a picture of a bird’s nest. Use clay to create an image of yourself as an animal. Or just paint whatever you’d like. Now talk about it with your therapist. It’s all about the metaphor. Primary Topic:  …

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #4: Visual Journaling

The Cool Art Therapy Interventions Countdown is back; coming in at #4 is a popular technique most often known as “visual journaling.” Visual journals have been used for centuries as records of ideas and imagination, creative autobiographical expres…

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #5: Show Me How You Feel Today

Art therapists have a longstanding tradition of prescribing image-making to prompt expression of feelings, often by asking people to draw, paint, or sculpt “how you feel.” It’s one of the fundamental approaches in the field that distinguishes art thera…

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Cool Art Therapy Intervention #7: Creating Together

There is a distinctive kind of creative energy generated when people work in a group to create art. Call it synergy or collective flow; whatever you call it, it changes our perceptions of who we are and shows us how to get by with a little creative hel…

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