Art Therapy Research ― A Practical Guide

Art Therapy Research is a clear and intuitive guide for educators, students, and practitioners on the procedures for conducting art therapy research. Presented using a balanced view of paradigms that reflect the pluralism of art therapy research, this exciting new resource offers clarity while maintaining the complexity of research approaches and considering the various epistemologies and their associated methods. This text brings research to life through the inclusion of sample experientials in every chapter and student worksheets, as well as a full chapter on report writing that includes a completed sample report. This comprehensive guide is essential reading for educators looking to further the application of learning outcomes such as teamwork, communication, and critical thinking in their practice.

Donna J. Betts, PhD, ATR-BC, is the Clinical Research Advisor for Creative Forces?: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and state and local arts agencies with administrative support provided by Americans for the Arts. Dr. Betts is an adjunct Associate Professor at the George Washington University Graduate Art Therapy Program. From 2015-2017 she was President of the American Art Therapy Association and presently serves on the Research Committee. An award-winning scholar, Dr. Betts has presented internationally on art therapy practice, policy, and research.

Sarah P. Deaver, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM, is in private practice at The Psychotherapy Center in Norfolk, VA. She was appointed to the faculty of the Graduate Art Therapy and Counseling Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1981, was its Research Director from 1996-2017, and was Professor from 2012-2018. Her clinical and research interests include assessment, visual journaling, and trauma informed art therapy. Dr. Deaver has been active in the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) in numerous capacities and was its President from 2013-2015. In 2014, the AATA recognized her as Distinguished Educator, and she was granted Honorary Life Membership in 2017.