Art as Medicine

This book shows how the expressive arts therapies contain the potential for renewal in both art and psychotherapy. The author first describes the theoretical basis for his vision of art as medicine, citing the archetypal psychology of James Hillman, writers such as D.H. Lawrence and Friedrich Nietzsche, mythologies such as Mircea Eliade, Henri Corbin and British scholar Jane Harrison and others. He then discusses his methods, including interpretation through performance and storytelling, collaborative creation, and dialoguing with paintings, as opposed to talking about paintings. Finally, he offers an illustrated examination of drawings, paintings and dreams, demonstrating how interacting with the products of the imagination can lead to growth and transformation for the healthy as well as the sick. The author also wrote "The Arts and Psychotherapy", "Educating the Creative Arts Therapists", "Fundamentals of Art Therapy" and "Depth Psychology of Art".