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“Both practicing therapists and students in the mental health field will benefit from the completeness of this handbook….Each chapter of the handbook can be read on its own, but taken together, they form an almost encyclopedic collection of what is available for therapeutic use today. *****!”

—Doody's Review Service


“Malchiodi and colleagues elegantly describe how expressive arts therapy can facilitate healing of brain, mind, and body, by fostering social connection, emotion regulation, rhythm, and play. These approaches have been used for centuries and have the ability to aid in healing traumatized individuals and communities. A 'must read'!”

—Ruth A. Lanius, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, Canada


“A comprehensive guide to understanding the breadth and depth of expressive arts as a mental health intervention. Malchiodi has brought together a team of experts who lead the reader through the rationale for expressive arts therapy from multiple theoretical frameworks and applied to multiple populations. Contributors give particular attention to current issues related to interpersonal neurobiology, social justice, and trauma. The clinical illustrations bring the interventions to life and help readers fully appreciate the difference that expressive arts therapy can make for clients. I would use this book as the primary text for our graduate expressive arts course, or as a recommended text for my advanced play therapy course. I especially appreciate the chapters that address history and theory, which will help graduate students develop a stronger theoretical grounding for their work.”

—Dee C. Ray, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S, Regents Professor in Counseling and Higher Education, and Director, Center for Play Therapy, University of North Texas


“This powerfully informative handbook provides more than core expressive arts principles and methodologies—we also see how expressive approaches are integrated into a range of therapies. Chapters by premier practitioners consistently emphasize how the expressive arts are strengths based, action oriented, and attentive to the mind and body. The book is filled with real-world implementation strategies, best-practice principles, case examples, and important consideration of individual, group, and family contexts. It is tremendously helpful in moving the reader beyond abstract theory to step-by-step methods of facilitation with clients.”

—Raphael Travis Jr., LCSW, DrPH, Professor and MSW Program Director, Texas State University School of Social Work


“This book offers an essential introduction to principles of expressive arts therapy and brings together stellar contributors who are recognized authorities in their areas of expertise. Each chapter provides relevant illustrative examples of how the arts may be used to find relief, meaning, agency, and vitality. This handbook is an indispensable resource for all helping professionals interested in how to integrate various forms of expression within psychotherapy.”

—Nisha Sajnani, PhD, RDT-BCT, Director of Drama Therapy, New York University

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Table of Contents

I. Foundations of Expressive Arts Therapy

1. What is Expressive Arts Therapy?, Cathy A. Malchiodi

2. Frameworks for Expressive Arts Therapy, Cathy A. Malchiodi

3. Attunement in Expressive Arts: Attachment, Rhythm, Resonance, and Embodied Empathy, Mitchell Kossak

4. Bridging Arts and Science in Expressive Arts Therapy, Patricia Leavy

II. Core Practices and Methodology

5. The Integrative Process of Expressive Arts Therapy, Karen Estrella

6. Person-Centered Expressive Arts Therapy, Sue Ann Herron

7. Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts Therapy, Laury Rappaport

8. Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy, Cathy A. Malchiodi

9. Playing through an Expressive Lens, Renee Turner

10. Narrative Expressive Arts Therapy, Shoshana Simons

11. Expressive Arts Therapy and Mindfulness, Karin von Daler

III. Integrating the Expressive Arts in Therapy

12. Sandtray and Expressive Arts in Child Psychotherapy: Using Play as a Neural Exercise, Theresa Kestly

13. Bilateral Body Mapping with Guided Drawing, Cornelia Elbrecht

14. Meeting the Moment: Music Therapy as Part of Arts-Focused Hospice Care, Laura E. Beer

15. Polyvagal-Informed Dance/Movement Therapy: Dance and Music on the Creative Continuum with Survivors of Trauma, Amber Elizabeth L. Gray

16. The Dancing Mindfulness Approach to Expressive Arts Therapy: Trauma-Focused Solutions for Group and Individual Settings, Jamie Marich

17. Integrative Drama Therapy in the Treatment of Trauma: Matching Aesthetic Properties to Patient Needs, Craig Haen

18. Integrating Creative Writing and Expressive Arts, Suzan Lemont

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About the Editor

Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC, LPAT, REAT, is a psychologist and expressive arts therapist specializing in trauma recovery. Since the 1990s, Dr. Malchiodi has worked with traumatized children, adolescents, adults, and families, expanding the range of understanding of nonverbal, sensory-based concepts and methods. Founder and executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Dr. Malchiodi has given over 700 invited keynotes, lectures, and workshops around the world, and has assisted more than 500 organizations and institutions in developing trauma-informed, expressive arts, and disaster relief programming. Her books include Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy, Understanding Children’s Drawings, and Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children, Second Edition. Dr. Malchiodi is a contributing writer for Psychology Today, an active visual artist, and an aspiring musician.

• Author's website
• All titles by Cathy A. Malchiodi

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Contributors

Laura E. Beer, PhD, MT-BC, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Cornelia Elbrecht, MA, AThR, SEP, REAT, Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy, Apollo Bay, Victoria, Australia

Karen Estrella, PhD, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA

Amber Elizabeth L. Gray, PhD, Restorative Resources, Santa Fe, New Mexico; The Kint Institute, New York, NY

Craig Haen, PhD, private practice, White Plains, NY

Sue Ann Herron, PhD, Person-Centered Expressive Arts Institute, Sonoma, CA

Theresa Kestly, PhD, The Sand Tray Training Institute of New Mexico, Corrales, NM

Mitchell Kossak, PhD, LMHC, REAT, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA

Patricia Leavy, PhD, independent scholar, Kennebunk, ME

Suzan Lemont, MA, Pandora’s Playspace Creative Studio and The Heal Her Project, Utrecht, Netherlands

Cathy A. Malchiodi, PhD, ATR-BC, LPAT, LPCC, REAT, Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Louisville, KY

Jamie Marich, PhD, LPCC-S, REAT, RYT-500, The Institute for Creative Mindfulness, Warren, OH

Laury Rappaport, PhD, MFT, REAT, ATR-BC, Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute, Santa Rosa, CA; Department of Expressive Therapies, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA

Shoshana Simons, PhD, RDT, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA

Renee Turner, PhD, LPC-S, RPT/S, Expressive Therapies Institute, San Antonio, TX

Karin von Daler, MA, REAT, Healing Arts, Frederiksberg, Denmark

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Audience

Psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, trauma specialists and researchers, and creative arts therapists (art, music, movement, play, and drama).

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Course Use

May serve as a supplemental or core text in graduate-level courses.