Art that Tells the Truth

Book excerpt: Creative Methods are a shortcut to what we didn’t know we knew. In working from a student’s or client’s own imagination and psychological material, a person discovers who they are and what they need to expand and move forward. This enriching and inspiring book on creative methods demonstrates the power and effectiveness of the creative approach in guidance and counselling settings. The twenty chapters in this volume focus on the importance and joys of play, creative expression, and imagination in effective learning: as we develop, observe, and interact with our own creations we can arrive at fresh insights by tapping into the wisdom of the unconscious mind. Creative methods often provide a new perspective on difficult emotions and allow us to perceive what they’re trying to tell us. Chapter topics include the following: Embodied Theatre Ecology; the Use of Poetry with Clients Recovering from Anorexia; Retirement Life Writing; the Value of Metaphors in Grieving; the Construction of New Narrative Identities in Careers; Dance Movement Psychotherapy as an Approach to Depression; Psychodrama and Philosophy in Learning Self-care by Encountering the “Unknown Other”; Artistic Tools for Psychotherapeutic Work with Children and Youth; Temporal Chair Work; Identity Learning through Paintings; and the ways in which Poetry can Help us Bridge Cultural Divides and Inform Career Learning Practices. This volume will be of value and interest to students, researchers, teachers, professionals, and practitioners of psychology, behavioural sciences, mental health, counselling, and education. The chapters in this book were originally published as special issues in the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling.