Assessment in Art Therapy

Assessment in Art Therapy gives a unique insight into the diverse contemporary practices that constitute assessment in art therapy, providing an overview of the different approaches employed in Britain and the USAtoday. This professional handbook comprises three parts. 'Sitting Beside' explores the discursive and the relational in art therapy assessments with adults and children in different settings. 'Snapshots from the Field' presents a series of short, practice-based reports which describe art therapists working in private practice, secure settings and community mental health centres. 'A More Distant Calculation' consists of chapters that describe the development and use of different kinds of art-based assessment procedures developed on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as different kinds of research about art therapy assessment. Both students and practitioners alike will benefit from the wealth of experience presented in this book, which demonstrates how art therapists think about assessment; the difficulties that arise in art therapy assessment; and the importance of developing the theory and practice of art therapy assessment, whilst taking into account the changing demands of systems and institutions.

Gilroy, Tipple, Brown, Introduction. Part I: Sitting Beside. Gilroy, What’s Best for Whom? Exploring the Evidence Base for Art Therapy Assessment. Brown, Assessment: What Does it Mean? Henley, Knowing the Unknowable: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Postmodern Assessment in Child Art Therapy. Case, Image and Process: Twin Exploration in Art Therapy Assessment. McNiff, Art-based Methods for Art Therapy Assessment. Tipple, The Subjects of Assessment. Part II: Snapshots from the Field. Etherington, Assessing a Young Autistic Boy in Art Therapy Private Practice. Arnold, An Art-based Assessment of a Young, Psychotic Male. McCulloch, The Assessment of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Complex Health Needs. Cronin, The Assessment of Adults in an In-patient Forensic Setting. Saotome, Art Therapy Assessment in an Adolescents Day Service. Liebmann, Assessing the Suitability of Adult Clients in Community Mental Health. Loumeau-May, The Challenge of Art Therapy Assessment in Bereavement Work with Children and Teens. Part III: A More Distant Calculation. Marshall-Tierney, Nightsea Crossing: Assessment for Art Therapy. Thomas, Cody, Three Starting Points: An Art-based Assessment Method. Levick, The Levick Emotional and Cognitive Art Therapy Assessment (LECATA). Gantt, Tending to the ‘Art’ in Art Therapy Assessment. Betts, Positive Art Therapy Assessment. Looking Towards Positive Psychology for New Directions in the Art Therapy Assessment Process. Gilroy, Tipple, Brown, Concluding Remarks.

Andrea Gilroy is Head of the Department of Professional and Community Education at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK Robin Tipple is Associate Tutor in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK Christopher Brown is an Art Therapist with Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Associate Tutor in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK