While therapists are increasingly working with multi-ethnic client groups, there is a paucity of material available for them to develop approaches, which meet diverse cultural and racial needs. Art Therapy, Race and Culture is a stimulating and inspiring collection which explores the often contentious themes of race, racism and culture in relation to the experience of art therapy, in a positive and constructive way. Contributors examine the impact of racial perceptions in their own experience, their clients' lives, and on the interaction of therapist and client. The potential of art therapy as a force of liberation, and art therapists as cultural activists, is explored. Cultural differences in meanings applied to 'colour' and to the nature of art are also discussed. Illustrated with line drawings and photographs, the book presents work, ideas and theories based on the practical experiences of therapists from many different backgrounds and their work with clients from equally diverse origins.
Section 1 Class, race and oppression: Art, healing and liberation -rituals of body and place, Miche Fabre-Lewin; Class issues in therapy, Chris Wood; Drawing lines - art therapists and psychiatric services working in collaboration with contemporary artists, Lyn French. Section 2 Working with race, racism and difference in art therapy: Living colour in art therapy, Jean Campbell, Vicky Barber; Echoing the steps of my ancestors, Cherry Lawrence, Heather Barford; The scapegoat - Jewish experience and art psychotherapy, Joy Schaverien; Foreign images - images of race and culture, Caroline Case; Thrown in at the deep end, Jenny Cooper; My God! look at me! Pauline Mottram; Culturally sensitive therapy - accents, approaches and tools, Ranju Roy. Section 3 Philosophies of therapy and practice - east and west: Issues of empowerment in a multi-cultural art therapy group, Sally Weston; Taoism and art therapy - flowing and stuckness, Malcolm Learmonth. Section 4 Therapists - a question of identity: Crossing the meniscus - art therapy and local agenda 21, Jenny Jones; Group issues from a black art psychotherapist's viewpoint, Yvonne Crawford; Art therapy and Jewish identity - stories from Jewish art therapists, cathy Ward, Marian Liebmann; Being white - engaging with a changing world, Marian Liebmann. Section 5 Training - preparing the ground: A black perspective on art therapy training, frederica Brooks; Art therapy training and race and culture, Cathy Ward.
It was a real pleasure to be given this book to review. The Jessica Kingsley label promises a text that is written by people in the field who know what they are talking about, and this one is no exception. Each chapter has a specific angle from which each author views this subject, culminating in an inspirational list of References and Bibliography GÇô a useful aid in further study. In fact this is not a book to be raced through, but savored, a chapter at a time, and pondered over. Some writers are from a different culture themselves, some from a different race, but every author writes with openness and honesty about their findings. The result is a wealth of information that is both insightful and challenging. The subject matter, which is diverse and reflects a variety of therapeutic belief systems, is dealt with in a factual but sensitive manner, clearly stated. Indeed, if ever there were a danger of being complacent as a therapist, regarding work with people of other races or cultures, this book would be the ideal challenge to re-evaluate how we see ourselves, the client and the world in which we meet. It presents a viewpoint that can easily be missed altogether or taken for granted and ignored completely. Do not be put off by the fact that the title infers the book is for Art Therapists. The content is relevant to any therapist or counselor, who will ever work with people with a different attitude or persuasion from themselves. Be prepared for some real eye-opening insights into the different effects of race and culture has on relationships and viewpoints. Things you may never have considered about your own race and culture could well alter the way you work as a counselor for the better.
