by Gerald D . Oster (Foreword), ShirleyRiley (Author)
Contemporary Art Therapy with Adolescents offers practical and imaginative solutions to the multifaceted challenges that clinicians face when treating young people. The author fuses the contemporary theories of clinical treatment with the creative processes of art therapy to arrive at a synthesis which yields successful outcomes when working with adolescents. Clinicians of allied disciplines, particularly art therapists, will find practical suggestions for using imagery to enrich their relationships with teenaged clients. The process of using art-making therapeutically, and the challenges of applying creativity in the current mental health world, are explored.
Shirley Riley reviews current theories on adolescent development and therapy, and emphasizes the primary importance of relying on the youths' own narrative in the context of their social and economic backgrounds. She has found this approach preferential to following pre-designed assessment directives as a primary function of art therapy. Family, group and individual treatment are examined, as is the adolescent's response to short- and long-term treatment in residential and therapeutic school settings. The book is firmly rooted in Riley's clinical experience of working with this age group, and her proven ability to combine contemporary theories of adolescent treatment with inventive and effective art expressions.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 286
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley
Published: 01 Jun 1999
ISBN 10: 1853026379
ISBN 13: 9781853026379
Book Overview: Practical and imaginative solutions to the multifaceted challenges that clinicians face when treating young people
`The real strength of this book lies in the author's wealth of clinical experience of using art therapy with individuals and groups of adolescents, recounted in a way that actively draws you into her work. The book is full of case examples illustrating and clarifying the issues raised, including honest reflection on ethical dilemmas and ideas about how retrospectively she may have handled some situations differently... the book is full of helpful ideas and practical advice.
I liked the client-centered tone throughout. The perspective of seeing each person in therapy as a member of an unfamiliar culture (p.35) was helpful and one of many clear common-sense rules or pointers for working with this client group. This book is firmly grounded in practice, the examples are absorbing and the author's personal reflections very helpful. It is, therefore, likely to appeal to therapists working with adolescents and their families.'
-- British Journal of Occupational Therapy