UBC Press Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy book Paperback 256 pages

Focusing provides an effective way of listening to the innate wisdom of the body, while art therapy harnesses and activates creative intelligence. Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy: Accessing the Body's Wisdom and Creative Intelligence is a ground-breaking book integrating renowned psychologist Eugene Gendlin's Focusing with art therapy. This new, Focusing-based approach to art therapy helps clients to befriend their inner experience, access healing imagery from the body's felt sense to express in art, and carry forward implicit steps that lead toward change. Written for readers to be able to learn the application of this innovative approach, the book provides in-depth examples and descriptions of how to adapt Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy to a wide variety of clinical populations including individuals and groups with severe psychiatric illness, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more, as well as applications to private practice, illness and wellness, spirituality, and self-care.Integrating theory, clinical practice, and numerous guided exercises, this accessible book will enhance clinical sensitivity and skill, while adding resources for bringing creativity into practice. It will be of interest to art therapists, Focusing therapists, psychologists, counselors and social workers, as well as trainers and students.

Laury Rappaport, PhD, ATR-BC is Associate Professor at Notre Dame de Namur University, California, USA, and has been teaching expressive arts therapy for over 25 years. She is a licensed mental health counselor and licensed family therapist in Massachusetts, a board certified art therapist with the American Art Therapy Association, and a certified focusing trainer with The Focusing Institute. She has pioneered the creation of Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy and Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts Therapy.