The creation of art as a form of communication has been occurring since man first used substances like red clay and charcoal to make marks on cave walls. Jump ahead about 20,000 years to the mid 20th century and the term Art Therapy first started to be used, in the America. Psychologist Margaret Naumburg began using art with children to help them to communicate their thoughts and needs. Taking from psychodynamic influence of the time, Naumburg believed that unconscious or repressed thoughts could surface through the art. She encouraged her clients to create spontaneously and freely, understanding that those who experienced difficulties with communication found their voice through art. She went on to write books about her findings, such as Studies of the "Free" Art Expression of Behavior Problem Children and Adolescents as a Means of Diagnosis and Therapy which is still referenced today.
Over in the UK, Adrian Hill, an artist and writer, discovered the health benefits of art making while suffering from tuberculosis in the mid 1940s. He found that releasing creative energy and occupying his mind kept him mentally well, speeding up his physical recovery. Edward Adamson soon took on the task of developing Art Therapy in the 1970s. Working alongside Hill, he implemented Art Therapy in mental health hospitals. Embracing the idea of 'free' art making, he then opened a centre where clients were encouraged to come and make art with no judgement or aim - simply for self expression.
Skipping over to America once again, we saw Dr. Edith Kramer begin to develop Art Therapy courses in universities in the early 2000s. From here the discipline continued to grow, being used to promote emotional, developmental, and cognitive growth in both children and adults.
Today, Art Therapy is used widely across the UK, America, Australia and other parts of the world. To me, the creative element of Art Therapy allows it to be extremely flexible and tailored to each client. In my next blog post I will describe the settings in which Art Therapy is used today, as these are rapidly growing and becoming more and more diverse.
See you then!