Creative Arts Therapy
The term creative
arts therapy includes the following: drama
therapy, psychodrama, music
therapy, art therapy, dance/movement
therapy and poetry
therapy.
Drama Therapy
Drama therapy is
defined by the National Association for Drama Therapy as "the
systematic and intentional use of drama/theater processes and
products to achieve the therapeutic goals of symptom relief,
emotional and physical integration and personal growth." Drama
therapy is an active, experiential approach that facilitates the
client's ability to tell his/her story, solve problems, set goals,
express feelings appropriately, achieve a catharsis, extend the depth
and breadth of inner experience, improve interpersonal skills and
relationships, and strengthen the ability to perform personal life
roles while increasing flexibility between roles.
Drama therapy
evolved from the experience and research of psychotherapists,
teachers and theater professionals who recognized that alternatives
to traditional verbal therapies were useful to permit clients to
confront, explore and work through problems and emotional
difficulties.
The National
Association for Drama Therapy (NADT) was incorporated in l979 to
establish and uphold high standards of professional competence and
ethics among drama therapists; to develop criteria for training and
credentialing; to sponsor publications and conferences and to promote
the profession of drama therapy through information, education, and
advocacy.
It is the
responsibility of all Registered Drama Therapists (RDT) to adhere to
the profession's ethical, moral, and legal standards as prescribed
and accepted by the association and its membership. These standards
cover principles of accountability, competence and confidentiality in
treatment, supervision, and research.
Registered drama
therapists are trained in theater arts, psychology, and
psychotherapy. Training includes improvisation, puppetry,
role-playing, pantomime, mask work, and theatrical production.
Training in psychology and psychotherapy includes theories of
personality, group process, and supervised clinical experience with a
broad range of populations. The association supports the study of
drama through graduate programs in accredited colleges or
universities and also through the NADT approved Alternative Training
Program. Courses of study are evaluated by the Association's
Education Committee and the NADT Board of Examiners.
NADT maintains a
registry of drama therapists who have met the educational and
clinical practice standards designated for professionals. The
Registered Drama Therapist title is awarded drama therapists who have
a master's degree which includes 500 hours of drama/theater
experience, 300 hours of on-site internship in drama therapy with at
least 30 hours of supervision by a RDT (or other registered creative
arts therapist or credential master's level mental health
professional) and l000 paid hours of drama therapy experience.
A Board Certified
Trainer (RDT-BCT) is a working drama therapist who has been at least
five years in RDT rank. The trainer must be a practicing Registered
Drama Therapist who is actively affiliated in some area of drama
therapy (.e.g. academic, clinician, group therapist) and involved
with NADT. He/she must have a broad base of experience and knowledge
of the entire field of drama therapy and must submit current
recommendations which support that. In addition, the trainer must
have an acknowledged reputation as a skilled drama therapist in more
than one area of expertise either through publication, presentations,
workshops and/or other recognized contributions to the field of drama
therapy.
A Master Teacher
(RDT-MT) is an RDT in good standing who has worked as a drama
therapist/teacher for a minimum of three years and who has been
recognized by the NADT Board of Examiners for expertise in a specific
area (or areas) of drama therapy .
Drama therapy
benefits many client populations and is used in a variety of
settings. These include psychiatric hospitals, mental health
facilities, day treatment centers, nursing homes, schools and other
educational programs, centers for the physically/ developmentally/
learning disabled, and prisons. Populations served include children
with learning and social difficulties, the developmentally delayed,
psychiatric patients, the disabled, substance abusers, AIDS patients.
and those with disorders associated with aging.
Goals are
determined by the needs of each population. Some specific benefits
likely to be achieved in drama therapy include (1) finding
alternatives to problems, (2) reducing feelings of isolation, (3)
developing new coping skills and patterns, (4) broadening the range
of expression of feelings, (5) experiencing positive interactions,
and (8) developing social relationships.
Published
research studies include assessment tools, statistically-based
measurements, role play tests, and assessments using puppets with
children. Many current outcome studies are descriptive, using the
case study method. NADT sponsors a quarterly publication,
Dramascope.
Drama therapy is
a health and human service profession that dynamically and
effectively addresses the needs of people from young children to the
elderly. It can be used in the assessment and treatment of
individuals, couples, families and groups. Drama therapists may be
the primary or adjunctive therapist within a treatment team,
depending on the needs of the institution and the individual. Drama
therapy is firmly rooted in a belief in the healing power of drama.
For further
information contact:
The National
Association for Drama Therapy, Inc.
5505 Connecticut
Avenue NW
Washington DC
20019
Telephone:(202)966-7409
Fax:
(202)966-2283
Email:nadt@danielgrp.com
Web Site:http:// www.nadt.org
The National
Association for Drama Therapy, while it attracts world-wide members,
also supports the work of the British Association of Dramatherapists.
British
Association of Dramatherapists
41 Broomhouse
Lane,
Hurlingham park,
London,
SW63DP
Phone: 0171 731
0160
E-Mail: gillian@badth.demon.co.uk
Web Site: http://www.badth.org.uk/
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Psychodrama
Psychodrama is a
therapeutic discipline which uses action methods, sociometry, role
training, and group dynamics to facilitate constructive change in the
lives of participants. Based on the theories and methodology of Jacob
L. Moreno, M.D. (1988-1974), psychodrama can be found in mental
health programs, business, and education. Psychodramatists provide
services to diverse groups---from children to the elderly, and from
the chronically mentally ill to those seeking understanding and
learning in their work settings.
By closely
approximating life situations in a structured environment, the
participant is able to recreate and enact scenes in a way which
allows both insight and an opportunity to practice new life skills.
In psychodrama, the client (or protagonist) focuses on a specific
situation to be enacted. Other members of the group act as
auxiliaries, supporting the protagonist in his or her work, by taking
the parts or roles of significant others in the scene. This
encourages the group as a whole to partake in the therapeutic power
of the drama. The trained director helps to recreate scenes which
might otherwise not be possible. The psychodrama then becomes an
opportunity to practice new and more appropriate behaviors, and
evaluate its effectiveness within the supportive atmosphere of the
group. Because the dimension of action is present, psychodrama is
often empowering in a way that exceeds the more traditional verbal
therapies.
There are several
additional branches of psychodrama. Sociometry is the study and
measure of social choices within a group. Sociometry helps to bring
to the surface patterns of acceptance or rejection and fosters
increased group cohesion. This surfacing of the value systems and
norms of a group allows for restucturing that will lower conflicts
and foster synergistic relationships. Sociometry has been used in
schools and corporations as well as within the mental health field.
Sociodrama is a form of psychodrama that addresses the group's
perceptions on social issues. Rather then being the drama of a single
protagonist, this is a process that allows the group as a whole to
safely explore various perceptions. Members might address problems
such as teenage pregnancy or drug abuse, and together arrive at
understanding and innovative responses to these difficult issues.
The American
Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama was founded in April,
1942, by Dr. Moreno. This membership organization fosters the
national and international cooperation of all who are concerned with
the theory and practice of psychodrama, sociometry and group
psychotherapy. In 1947, Dr. Moreno also started the journal Group
Psychotherapy, today known as The Journal of Group
Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Sociometry, the first journal devoted to group psychotherapy in all its
forms.
The American
Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy
is a national organization that sets and promotes standards for this
discipline. Requirements for certification include a master's degree
from an accredited university in a related field, a minimum of 780
training hours under a board certified trainer, and supervised
experience. Passing both a written and onsite examination are part of
these requirements. There are two levels of certification. A
Certified Practitioner (CP) has been professionally trained and
supervised in psychodrama, sociometry, and group psychotherapy by a
Board Certified Trainer Educator, Practitioner (TEP), has met
established standards of the profession and has successfully
fulfilled the requirements of the Board of Examiners. A Trainer,
Educator, Practitioner (TEP) is a Certified Practitioner who has
received a minimum of three years additional supervised training,
education, and experience in the design and implementation of
professional training programs and has successfully fulfilled the
requirements of the Board of Examiners.
Psychodrama seeks
to use a person's creativity and spontaneity to reach his or her
highest human potential. With its perspective on the social network
in which an individual lives, it promotes mutual support and
understanding. In explaining his work, Dr. Moreno stated
psychodrama's goal to make it possible for every person to take part
in the creation of the structure of the universe, which "cannot have
less an objective than the whole of mankind."
For additional
information contact:
The American
Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, Inc.
301 N. Harrison
Street., Suite 508
Princeton, N.J.
08540
Phone: (609)
452-1339
Fax: (609)
936-1659
Email: asgpp@ASGPP.org
Web Site: http://www.asgpp.org
Music Therapy
Music has been
used since the beginning of time to communicate and express feelings.
Music therapy unites the fields of music and therapy to provide a
creative treatment and medium. More specifically, music therapy
combines music modalities with humanistic, psychodynamic, behavioral
and biomedical approaches to help clients attain therapeutic goals.
These goals can be mental, physical, emotional, social, and/or
spiritual in nature. Problems or needs are addressed both through the
therapeutic relationship between the client and music therapist, as
well as approached directly through the music itself.
Scholars contend
that the idea of using music as an adjunct to medical treatment
developed in the late 18th century. Later documented uses
of music as therapy can also be found following World War I. The
popular press from time to time reported "miracle cures" which were
believed to have resulted from "reaching" patients through music when
they responded to nothing else. Research in music therapy developed
in veterans' hospitals during the Second World War. Because there
were so many patients the "talking cure" was impractical but music
therapy found a place. Many studies were done on the physiological
changes that music had on such variables as mood, blood pressure,
breathing, and pulse rate.
Music therapists
continue to make research a strong component of their work. The
effects of music therapy with a variety of people with broad ranges
of special needs have been studied. These include individuals with
traumatic brain injury, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders,
special education needs, physical and mental disabilities, and
Alzheimer's disease.
Certified music
therapists work in a wide variety of settings with the emotionally
disturbed, the learning disabled, the mentally handicapped, and the
physically challenged. They also work with clients with psychiatric
disorders, alcohol and drug problems, neurological disorders and
those who are terminally ill. Music therapy is also used with healthy
individuals to assist in stress reduction, childbirth, and
biofeedback. Advanced opportunities in education, and private
practice are possible for music therapists with graduate degrees.
The American
Association for Music Therapy (AAMT), incorporated in 1971, is
dedicated to improving the quality of life through the use of music
as therapy. AAMT has established standards of professional competence
and implements these standards through certification of individuals
and approval of university curricula. AAMT approves bachelor's,
master's and doctoral-level programs. In 1998, AAMT became the
American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). joining with the National
Association for Music Therapy to create a single association
representing the field of over 5,000 Music Therapists.
Any individual
who desires to become a Certified Music Therapist (CMT) must complete
a bachelor's degree in music therapy or the equivalent at a college
approved by the AAMT. An approved curriculum provides the student
with all of the essential competencies necessary to become a CMT,
including a 900-hour clinical internship. Individuals may also apply
for Advanced Certification in Music Therapy (ACMT). This credential
requires a Master's degree in music therapy or a closely related
field, 100 contact hours in continuing education, and extensive
clinical experience.
The Certification
Board of Music Therapists (CBMT) was formed in l983. The mission of
CBMT is also to evaluate individuals who wish to continue or advance
their discipline through a national board certification process and
to issue the title of MT-BC to those who demonstrate the required
level of competence. The CBMT also instituted a re‑certification
process in l988 that assures continued education and personal growth.
The CBMT is a member of the National Commission for Certifying
Agencies (NCCA). In order to qualify for the examination, applicants
must have successfully completed the academic and clinical
requirements for music therapy or their equivalents as established by
the American Association for Music Therapy or the National
Association for Music Therapy.
For further
information contact:
The American
Music Therapy Association
8455 Colesville
Road, Suite 1000
Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910
Phone: (301)
589--3300
Fax: (301)
589-5175
Email: info@musictherapy.org
Web
Site: http://www.musictherapy.org
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Poetry Therapy
Poetry therapy
and bibliotherapy are terms used synonymously to describe the
intentional use of poetry and other forms of literature for healing
and personal growth. The term "biblio" means book and, by
extension, literature. "Therapy" is derived from the Greek word
"therapeia" meaning "to serve or help medically." Basically then,
bibliotherapy is the use of literature to promote mental health.
Developmental
interactive bibliotherapy refers to the use of literature, discussion
and creative writing with children in schools and hospitals, adults
in growth and support groups, and older persons in senior centers and
nursing homes. In these community settings, bibliotherapy is used not
only to foster growth and development but it is used as a preventive
tool in mental health.
Clinical
interactive bibliotherapy refers to the use of literature, discussion
and creative writing to promote healing and growth in psychiatric
units, community mental health centers, and chemical dependency
units.
The National
Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT), incorporated in l981, confers
professional credentials to biblio/poetry therapists who have met its
rigorous standards. The poetry therapist today is a professional who
is well-grounded in both psychology and literature, as well as group
dynamics. NAPT maintains a registry of biblio/poetry practitioners in
educational, medical, psychiatric, therapeutic, and community
settings.
The National
Association for Poetry Therapy is a profession that has an ethical
code, standards of practice, scientific theories, a body of knowledge
and specific training requirements. NAPT sponsors an annual four-day
national conference, newsletter, and the Journal for Poetry Therapy
is an interdisciplinary journal of practice, research, and education.
In 1986, the first federal job classification was created and the
first federal bibliotherapist was hired at St.Elizabeths Hospital in
Washington, DC. In institutional settings one full-time poetry
therapist can lead three groups a day, easily providing 7,000 patient
contact visits per year. A Registered Poetry Therapist (RPT) may also
function as a primary therapist or an administrator.
Bibliotherapy has
a broad range of applications with people of all ages and is used for
health and maintenance, as well as with individuals requiring
treatment for various illnesses and conditions. Examples of these are
veterans, substance abusers, adolescents, the learning disabled,
families with problems, prisoners in rehabilitation, the frail
elderly, the physically challenged, and survivors of violence, abuse
and incest. The literature and case studies provide evidence that
poetry therapy is an effective and powerful tool with many different
populations.
Poetry therapy is
an interactive process with three essential components: the
literature the trainer facilitator, and the client(s). A trained
biblio/poetry therapist selects a poem or other form of written or
spoken media to serve as a catalyst and evoke feeling responses for
discussion. The interactive process helps the individual to develop
on emotional, cognitive, and social levels. The focus is on the
person's reaction to the literature, never losing sight of the
primary objective--the psychological health and well being of the
client.
For more
information contact:
The National
Association for Poetry Therapy
5505 Connecticut
Avenue, NW #280
Washington, DC
20015
Phone: (202)
966-2536
Fax: (202)
966-2283
Email:
Web Site: http://www.poetrytherapy.org/
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Dance/Movement Therapy
Dance is the most
fundamental of the arts, involving direct expression through the
body. Thus, it is an intimate and powerful medium for therapy. Based
on the assumption that the body and mind are interrelated,
dance/movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy
Association as "the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process
which furthers the emotional, cognitive and physical integration of
the individual." Dance/movement therapy effects changes in feelings,
cognition, physical functioning, and behavior.
Dance as therapy
came into existence in the l940s, especially through the pioneering
efforts of Marian Chace. Psychiatrists in Washington, D.C., found
that their patients were deriving benefits from attending Chace's
unique dance classes. As a result, Chace was asked to work on the
back wards of St. Elizabeth:s Hospital with patients who had been
considered too disturbed to participate in regular group activities.
A non-verbal group approach was needed and dance/movement therapy met
that need.
The American
Dance Therapy Association (ADTA) was founded in 1966 by 73 charter
members in 15 states. Now, the Association has brown to nearly 1200
members in 46 states and 20 foreign countries. ADTA maintains a
registry of dance/movement therapists who meet specific educational
and clinical practice standards. The title "Dance Therapist
Registered" (DTR) is granted to entry-level dance/movement therapists
who have a master's degree which includes 700 hours of supervised
clinical internship. The advanced level of registry, Academy of Dance
Therapists Registered (ADTR), is awarded only after DTRs have
completed 3,640 hours of supervised clinical work in an agency,
institution, or special school, with additional supervision from an
ADTR. In addition, as part of their written application for review by
the credentials committee, applicants for ADTR must document their
understanding of theory and practice.
The association
has a code of ethics and has established standards for professional
practice, education and training. Dance/movement therapy academic
programs stress coursework in dance/movement therapy, theory, and
practice, plus movement observation and analysis, human development,
psychopathology, cultural diversity, research skills, and group work.
In 1979, ADTA established an approval process for the purpose of
evaluating these programs. Research and scholarly writing are
published in the American Journal of Dance Therapy and in
publications funded by the Marian Chace Memorial Fund of he ADTA.
Today, in
addition to those with severe emotional disorders, people of all ages
and varying conditions receive dance/movement therapy. Examples of
these are individuals with eating disorders, adult survivors of
violence, sexually and physically abused children, dysfunctional
families, the homeless, autistic children, the frail elderly, and
substance abusers.
An evolving area
of specialization is using dance/movement therapy in special settings
(such as prisons and centers for the homeless) and with specific
populations including the learning disabled, frail elderly,
emotionally disturbed, depressed and suicidal, mentally retarded,
substance abusers, visually and hearing impaired, and the psychotic
and autistic. Those with physical problems (such as amputations,
traumatic brain injury, stroke, and chronic pain) and with chronic
illnesses (such as anorexia and bulimia, cancer, Alzheimer's disease,
cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, AIDS, and
arthritis) have also been studied.
In institutions,
dance/movement therapists may work as administrators as well as
clinicians. Dance/movement therapists who are ADTRs in good standing
are also qualified to teach, provide supervision, and engage in
private practice.
For further
information contact:
The American
Dance Therapy Association, Inc.
2000 Century
Plaza, Suite 108
10632 Little
Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD
21044-3263
Telephone: (410)
977-4040
Fax: (410)
977-4048
Email: adta@aol.com
Web Site:
http://www.adta.org/
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Over one hundred
years ago, a number of European writers described the spontaneous art
done by patients in mental hospitals. This seemingly irrepressible
urge to make art out of any available materials confirms the
compelling power of artistic expression to reveal inner experience.
It was because art making provided a means of expression for those
who were often uncommunicative that art therapy came to be developed
as one of the helping professions.
Art therapy is
defined as a human service profession that uses art media, images,
the creative process, and patient/client responses to the created
products as reflections of an individual's development, abilities,
personality, interests, concerns, and conflicts. Art therapy practice
is based on knowledge of human developmental and psychological
theories which are implemented in the full spectrum of models of
assessment and treatment including educational, psychodynamic,
cognitive, transpersonal, and other therapeutic means of reconciling
emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, developing social
skills, managing behavior, solving problems, reducing anxiety, aiding
reality orientation, and increasing self-esteem.
Art therapy as a
separate field developed simultaneously in England and the United
States. Margaret Naumburg is considered its founder in this country.
An educator and psychotherapist who started the Walden School in New
York City, Naumburg wrote several books on art therapy and its
applications with psychiatric patients in the 1940s and 1950s. Her
sister Florence Cane modified principles from art education for use
with children. At the same time, artists (including some who were
conscientious objectors during World War II) were volunteers in
mental hospitals. They eventually convinced psychiatrists of the
contributions art therapy could make reaching the most difficult
patients.
Theories from
psychoanalysis and art education are the foundations for the two
poles in the field, which are termed art psychotherapy and art as
therapy. Whether the therapeutic process is inherent in talking about
art and in expressing oneself or in the specific act of creation has
been a subject of considerable debate. Most art therapists find that
they draw from both approaches, modifying what they do or emphasize
according to the population with which they are working.
The first journal
in the field was published in 1961 as the Bulletin of Art Therapy
(now the American
Journal of Art Therapy).
The American Art Therapy Association (AATA), founded in 1969, is the
national professional organization; It sponsors annual conferences
and regional symposia, approves training programs, and publishes the
journal Art Therapy. The first graduate
degrees were awarded in the 1970s. Today there are undergraduate
introductory courses and preparatory programs in colleges across the
country as well as master's programs approved by AATA.
Art therapy is an
effective treatment for the developmentally, medically,
educationally, socially or psychologically impaired; and is practiced
in mental health, rehabilitation, medical, educational, and forensic
institutions. Populations of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds
are served by art therapists in individual, couples, family and group
therapy formats.
Educational,
professional and ethnical standards for art therapists are regulated
by the American Art Therapy Association. The Art Therapy Credentials
Board, an independent organization, grants post graduate Registration
(A.T.R.) after reviewing documentation of completion of graduate
education and post-graduate supervised experience. The Registered Art
Therapist who successfully completes the written examination
administrated by the Art Therapy Credential Board is qualified as
Board Certified (A.D.T.R. BC), a credential requiring maintenance
through continuing education credits.
Research in art
therapy has includes studying the influence of depression on the
content of drawings, the use of art to assess cognitive skills, the
correlation of psychiatric diagnosis and formal variables in art, and
the effect of art therapy interventions as measured by single-case
designs.
For further
information contact:
The American Art
Therapy Association
1202 Allanson
Road
Mundelein,
Illinois 60060-3808
Phone:
(847)949-6064
Fax: (847566-4580
Email: arttherapy@ntr.net
Web Site: http://www.arttherapy.org