AATA2024 Author Showcase

Patricia Isis

Mindful Doodle Book: 75 Creative Exercises to Help you Live in the Moment

The Mindful Doodle Book: 75 Creative Exercises to Help You Live In the Moment combines the benefits of mindfulness and the intuitive expression of doodling to help you relax, find focus, and creatively express emotions through spontaneous artmaking.

Purchase via PESI

Sarah Balascio

Art Therapy Directives

Art Therapy Directives: An Intervention Toolbox is an all-inclusive manual of art therapy directives designed to be a comprehensive and organized resource for art therapists and other trained mental health professionals. Art therapy directives are directions for creating art and often require use of specific art media, both of which are tailored to the client’s particular need.

Purchase via Routledge

Gioia Chilton

Positive Art Therapy Theory and Practice: Integrating Positive Psychology with Art Therapy

By Rebecca Ann Wilkinson and Gioia Chilton

Positive Art Therapy Theory and Practice outlines a clear, systematic approach for combining positive psychology with art therapy’s capacity to mobilize client strengths; induce engagement, flow and positive emotions; transform perceptions; build healing relationships and empowering narratives; and illuminate life purpose and meaning. Woven throughout are clinical illustrations, state-of-the-art research, discussion questions, and reflections on how therapists can apply this approach to their work with clients, and their personal and professional development.

Purchase via Routledge

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Michael A. Franklin

Art as Contemplative Practice: Expressive Pathways to the Self

Drawing upon his personal experience as a practitioner-researcher, visual artist, and cancer survivor, Michael A. Franklin offers a rich and thought-provoking guide to art as contemplative practice. His firsthand experience and original artwork complement this extensive discussion by consulting various practice traditions including yoga, rasa and darshan experiences, imaginal intelligence, and the contemplative instincts of select early twentieth-century artists. From this synthesis, Franklin suggests that we treat art as a form of yoga and meditation with the potential to awaken deeper insight into the fundamental nature of the Self. Exercises and rubrics are included that offer accessible instruction for any artist, meditation or yoga practitioner, art educator, or art therapist.

Purchase via publisher, SUNY Press 
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Krystal Demaine

The Roots & Rhythm of the Heart: Our Musical Connection to Identity, Spirit, and Lineage

The beat of the heart is structured, not improvised; it is a perpetual non-fleeting pulse spanning all human life until it is the last rhythm produced in our own conscious existence. Listening to the final beats of my father’s heart – his last eternal live music performance gave me a chance to reflect on the blood within me, the blood that pumps through my own heart, my roots, my lineage, my musical individuation. Bearing the deep sadness of the death of my father at the forefront with a global pandemic gripping the world, social hostility, and political divide – the heartbeat gave a new meaning, something deeper and more personal, impacting my existential inquiry on the power of music and the human condition. 

Expressive Therapeutic Writing: Guiding Transformation and Restorative Care Through Intermodal Arts, Word by Word

By Krystal Leah Demaine and Tamar Reva Einstein

This book brings engagement and conversation to a cross-pollination of creative and expressive writing and multi-modal art forms. Through the lens of expressive arts therapy, the authors demonstrate how writing can reveal the unexpected that emerges from art making. The lineage of expressive arts therapy includes artful writing, poetry, associative, creative, and memoir, for example, to engage in self-discovery, growth, and restorative care.

Purchase via Routledge 

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David Gussak

The Frenzied Dance of Art and Violence

Some artists have an inclination towards violence, with art helping to mitigate or redirect their destructive energy. For others, their art helps them gain power over or make sense of violent environs. Finally, for some violent perpetrators, art simply mirrors and even perpetuates their psychopathic cycles. Through it all, The Frenzied Dance of Art and Violence explores – and seeks to understand – these interrelated paths of destruction and creation. To inform this dynamic, Dr. David E. Gussak relies on various psychological and sociological perspectives of violence and aggression. Beginning with brief psychobiographies of violent artists, such as Caravaggio, Cellini, Pollock, and Dali, and those whose work emerged from violence, such as Goya, Beckmann, Picasso, and Vann Nath, among others, Gussak illustrates a potent dual nature of art-making: as a way to mitigate violent inclinations and as a tool to regain control amidst turmoil.

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Art and Art Therapy with the Imprisoned: Re-Creating Identity

Through the author’s experiences, investigations and discussions with artists, art therapists and inmates from around the world, Art and Art Therapy with the Imprisoned: Re-Creating Identity comprehensively explores the efficacy, methods, and outcomes of art and art therapy within correctional settings.

Art on Trial: Art Therapy in Capital Murder Cases

A man kidnaps his two children, murders one, and attempts to kill the other. The prosecution seeks the death penalty, while the defense employs an unusual strategy to avoid the sentence. The defendant’s attorneys turn to more than 100 examples of his artwork, created over many years, to determine whether he was mentally ill at the time he committed the crimes. Detailing an outstanding example of the use of forensic art therapy in a capital murder case, David Gussak, an art therapist contracted by the defense to analyze the images that were to be presented as evidence, recounts his findings and his testimony in court, as well as the future implications of his work for criminal proceedings.

Elizabeth Hlavek

A Meaning-Based Approach to Art Therapy

A Meaning-Based Approach to Art Therapy contextualizes the phenomena of Holocaust artwork for the field of art therapy and uses this canon of artwork to support the inclusion of logotherapy into art therapy theory and practice.

The author expounds on a study in which she interviewed surviving Holocaust artists about how they were able to create their artworks while in Nazi captivity. Divided into three parts, the book follows the chronological order of her inquiry. It first presents theory, then research, and ends with implications for the practice of art therapy. The research chapters set out the process and results of the author’s phenomenological inquiry. They address how art making during the Holocaust allowed captive artists to bear witness, leave a legacy and retain their humanity. 

Patricia Gussie Klorer

Expressive Therapy with Traumatized Children

Expressive Therapy with Traumatized Children offers students in training and professionals who work with children an array of sensitive and creative ways to help even their most challenging patients. The second edition builds upon cutting-edge research in the neuroscience of trauma and art therapy to examine children’s development alongside their understanding of trauma. Including many new and revised case studies, Klorer illustrates effective treatment strategies to offer patients alternative means of expression. Klorer’s rich and highly accessible teaching voice seamlessly weaves together art therapy theory, research, and cases into an invaluable resource for students and practitioners alike.

Jill McNutt

Art Therapy Through the Lifespan: A Collection of Case Studies

Art Therapy Through the Lifespan: A Collection of Case Studies introduces theories and models of human development highlighted by case studies written by art therapists and broken down by developmental age ranges.

Each chapter introduces vignettes written by seasoned art therapists, illuminating the clinical practice of art therapy across relevant developmental levels. Chapters cover major developmental factors through a range of theoretical perspectives, including the definition and use of art therapy, and how developmental knowledge and understanding impact art therapy practice with clients of all ages. 

Megan Menkis

Spectacular Senses: My Sensory Processing Workbook

This workbook provides fun and engaging activities to help children and preadolescents understand their unique sensory preferences and develop coping strategies to deal with uncomfortable experiences and emotions.

Creating Calm

Bedtime can be tough for kids with sensory processing or anxiety disorders. The day’s sights, sounds, and sensations can leave them feeling overstimulated and restless. This therapeutic workbook guides you and your child toward a calm and peaceful bedtime routine. 

Super Ears: My Misophonia Workbook

With colorful illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, this workbook is perfect for kids age 4-12 who want to take charge of their sensory challenges.

Emily Nolan

Community Art Therapy: Theory and Practice

This book provides a narrative exploration of community art therapy woven from its rich practice roots, theory, the multiple ways that it can be applied in practice, and through practitioner reflections.

The applications of community art therapy are numerous, and this book provides knowledge to practitioners, guiding them in their own work and grounding their theoretical approaches. The community approaches presented in the text have been developed through careful research, strategy, and implementation.

Meera Rastogi and Joseph Scarce

Foundations of Art Theory and Applications

Edited by Meera Rastogi, Rachel P. Feldwisch, Michelle Pate, and Joseph Scarce

Foundations of Art Theory and Applications is an essential and comprehensive introduction to the field of art therapy that blends relevant psychological and neuroscience research, theories, and concepts and infuses cultural diversity throughout each chapter. The text includes full color photos, informative charts, and case examples and is divided into four parts beginning with the basics of art therapy knowledge and concluding with professional practices in art therapy.

Purchase via Elsevier

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Joseph Scarce

Art Therapy in Response to Natural Disasters, Mass Violence, and Crises

With contributions from a range of expert voices within the field, this book explores the use of art therapy as a response to traumatic events. Offering rare insight into ways in which art therapists have responded to recent crises, this is a unique resource for art therapists looking to coordinate interventions for large-scale disaster and resulting trauma.

Purchase via Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Dana Rummery

Escaping Death

By James Caplan and Dana Rummery

Inside this book you’ll find a collection of my artworks and perspectives. We all thought I was going to die, but with encouragement I was able to create again. Now I can engage in life again. My hope is that this book will be an inspiration to other patients who have limited capabilities to raise themselves out of a physiological and emotional difficulty while dealing with illness. – James A. Caplan

Dana created this book with a client during their art therapy sessions. She will have copies of the book available at AATA2024 signed by Mr. Caplan.

Mr.Caplan is donating all profit from the sale of his book to the Main Line Health Hospice Art Therapy Program in his ongoing effort to support art making at every stage of life.

Purchase via Lulu

Libby Schmanke

Art Therapy and Substance Abuse

Art therapy is an effective treatment for individuals with addictions. Working with this unique and often difficult clinical population, however, requires special therapist awareness and knowledge. This handbook provides an in-depth foundation of knowledge for art therapists working with clients with addictions.

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A Graphic Guide to Art Therapy

What are the core concepts of art therapy? What can you learn from a drawing of a bird’s nest, a collage or some scribbles? Why become an art therapist and how do you do it? What happens in the therapy room? In the style of a graphic novel, A Graphic Guide to Art Therapy answers these questions and more.

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The Life and Legacy of Robert Ault, Art Therapy Pioneer

This accessible book provides an edited and annotated compilation of selections of Robert Ault’s previously unpublished work, from presentations at psychiatric conferences to examples of his paintings and drawings.

Ault’s manuscripts for presentations, workshop protocols, and art therapy directives that are otherwise unavailable are of great value to current and future art therapists and clinicians in fields like expressive arts therapy, counseling, social work, and psychology.

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Jessica Stallings

Special Interests in Art Therapy With Autistic People: A Neurodiversity-Positive Approach to Empower and Engage Participants

Introducing the Special Interest Communication Theory (SICT) Facilitative Framework, this guide will help you to support autistic clients and meet their needs through special interests and pop culture.

Turning away from a culture that has often sought to suppress autistic special interests, Stallings asks that therapists meet autistic children and adults on their own terms. Creating an autism positive environment and engaging with special interests – from video games to K-Pop – builds rapport and helps identify therapeutic goals.

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Christianne Strang

Art Therapy and the Neuroscience of Trauma 

Edited by Juliet King and Christianne Strang

Art Therapy and the Neuroscience of Trauma, 2nd edition, lays out a unified framework of neural plasticity and resilience and places it within a broader social context. Using a lens grounded in multicultural humility, renowned figures in art therapy have updated chapters with content that takes a systematic yet inclusive approach. New chapters and new authors offer stimulating insights into individual and community factors that drive comprehensive care.

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Stephanie Wise

A Vortex Tale

If you’re a fan of suspense thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end, “A VORTEX TALE” is a must-read novel. S. L. Wise’s ability to blend psychological suspense, emotional depth, and captivating storytelling will keep you hooked from the first page to the last. Prepare to be enthralled by the intricate web of secrets, the exploration of human nature, and the relentless pursuit of truth of an art therapist within the confines of her mind. Brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride of suspense and intrigue that will leave you yearning for more.

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Yadyra Yánez

Mi Querido Diario Arte-terapéutico

My beloved Arte-therapeutic diary is a publication that contains more than 35 exercises (in Spanish) to be applied at home or under the supervision of a health professional. Some exercises invite you to perform them accompanied by soft music and a lot of analysis.

An invitation to travel slowly and without haste along the complicated path of self-knowledge. Art invites you to explore, let yourself be and reflect, without room for criticism, but accompanied by a lot of learning. Each page is an invitation to the wonderful path of self-discovery.

The English version is soon to be released.

Stay connected with Yadyra at @maicenter and @fundacionmaipty.

Shelby Wynn

Growing Up Grounded: Learning to cope with a parent who suffers from a mental illness – An art based workbook

Has your parent or caregiver been recently diagnosed with a mental illness, or have you always felt that your home life was significantly different than your friends? First of all, don’t worry, you are not alone. Of all the adults diagnosed (or not) with a mental illness, the majority of them are parents and little to no attention is paid to their children and how this diagnosis also affects their social/ emotional development. There is very little literature, let alone a work book, made specifically for the child of a parent who suffers from mental illness! Utilizing a modified version of the Twelve Step Program, this book helps teens (and adults) work through each chapter/step at their own pace. 

Chioma Anah

Art Therapy for Racial Trauma, Microaggressions and Inequality: Social Justice and Advocacy in Therapy Work

Hayley Wilds

Creative Healing for Pregnancy Loss: A Guided Journal of Creative Prompts to Help You Process Your Feelings, Honor Your Loss, & Begin to Heal

100+ creative prompts to help you process your unique pregnancy loss grief experience.

If you’ve been through pregnancy loss, then you know how tough it is to find support from people who truly get it. But with this judgment-free grief journal written by an art therapist and pregnancy loss survivor, you can engage your creativity to process your grief and begin to heal.

Purchase via Amazon

Judy Rubin

Approaches to Art Therapy

The third edition of Approaches to Art Therapy brings together varied theoretical approaches and provides a variety of solutions to the challenge of translating theory to technique. The third edition includes many new chapters with material on a wide variety of topics including contemplative approaches, DBT, neuroscience, and mentalization while also retaining important and timeless contributions from the pioneers of art therapy.

Child 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 25th 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.

Introduction to Art Therapy: Sources & Resources

Introduction to Art Therapy: Sources and Resources, is the thoroughly updated and revised second edition of Judith Rubin’s landmark 1999 text, the first to describe the history of art in both assessment and therapy, and to clarify the differences between artists or teachers who provide “therapeutic” art activities, psychologists or social workers who request drawings, and those who are trained as art therapists to do a kind of work which is similar, but qualitatively different. This new edition contains downloadable resources with over 400 still images and 250 edited video clips for much richer illustration than is possible with figures alone; an additional chapter describing the work that art therapists do; and new material on education with updated information on standards, ethics, and informing others.

The Art of Art Therapy: What Every Art Therapist Needs to Know [With DVD]

The Art of Art Therapy is written primarily to help art therapists define and then refine a way of thinking about their work. This new edition invites the reader to first consider closely the main elements of the discipline embodied in its name: The Art Part and The Therapy Part. The interface helps readers put the two together in an integrated, artistic way, followed by chapters on Applications and Related Service. Included with this edition are downloadable resources containing two hours of chapter-related video content.

My Mom and Dad Don’t Live Together Anymore: A Drawing Book for Children of Separated or Divorced Parents

Some things are easier to say with pictures. When parents decide to separate or divorce, children need ways to sort through all the feelings, thoughts, and worries they are facing. This drawing book encourages kids to explore their inner world through both pictures and words, helping them to understand themselves and feel better during a difficult time of change. A Note for Parents discusses the impact of separation and divorce on the family, and describes the value of art therapy in coping with stressful emotions and experiences.

Buy via ‘Magination Press

Artful Therapy

Artful Therapy shows you how to use art to make a difference in therapy. Using visual imagery and art creation, you can help people with medical problems understand how they feel about their illness; victims of abuse “tell without talking”; and substance abuse and eating disorder clients tap into unresolved issues. These are just a few examples of how the power of art can improve your practice.

Buy via Amazon