Child Art Therapy

“Judith Rubin is an original: A humble and wise art therapist who paved the way for the clinical credibility of art therapy. She was a pioneer, exploring art as therapy (which we now take for granted), at a time when this thought was innovative and original. She furthered the discussion of various ways to use art therapy and she has maintained a steady and invested interest in the development of the field. This book is a must-read for anyone who desires a strong and substantive foundation to the development and growth of the field of art therapy. Her latest efforts in chronicling art therapists around the world ‘doing’ the work as well as honoring the vast contributions of Fred Rogers, are a testimony to her ongoing wish to push art therapy forward.”― Eliana Gil, Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery & Education

An innovative guide to the practice of art therapy

Since 1978, Judith Aron Rubin's Child Art Therapy has become the classic text for conducting art therapy with children. Twenty-five years later, the book still stands as the reference for mental health professionals who incorporate art into their practice. Now, with the publication of this fully updated and revised Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition, which includes a DVD that illustrates art therapy techniques in actual therapy settings, this pioneering guide is available to train, inform, and inspire a new generation of art therapists and those seeking to introduce art therapy into their clinical practice.

The text illustrates how to:

• Set the conditions for creative growth, assess progress, and set goals for therapy
• Use art in individual, group, and family situations, including parent-child pairings, mothers' groups, and adolescent groups
• Work with healthy children and those with disabilities
• Guide parents through art and play
• Talk about art work and encourage art production
• Decode nonverbal messages contained in art and the art-making process
• Use scribbles, drawings, stories, poems, masks, and other methods to facilitate expression
• Understand why and how art therapy works

Along with the useful techniques and activities described, numerous case studies taken from Rubin's years of practice add a vital dimension to the text, exploring how art therapy works in the real world of children's experience. Original artwork from clients and the author illuminate the material throughout. Written by an internationally recognized art therapist, Child Art Therapy, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition is a comprehensive guide for learning about, practicing, and refining child art therapy.

JUDITH ARON RUBIN, PHD, ATR-BC, is a licensed psychologist and faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. She is a former president of the American Art Therapy Association, the author of five books, and the creator of five teaching films. She consults, lectures, and gives workshops across the country as well as abroad, and is preparing a series of art therapy teaching tapes for students and professionals.