Attunement in Expressive Art Therapy

Book excerpt: This new second edition of Attunement in Expressive Arts Therapy: Toward an Understanding of Embodied Empathy has been extensively revised. The book addresses how the arts can be applied therapeutically for mental, emotional and spiritual health. The therapeutic practices offer expanded ways of being attuned to emotional states and life conditions with individuals, relationships, groups, and communities. Specific topics include: the contexts of attunement in the arts and therapy, tuning in to embodied creative intelligence, attunement and improvisation, rhythm and resonance, and the sense of balance achieved through affective sensory states. Each chapter clearly articulates how to utilize the arts to tune in to self, other, and a larger sacred presence. The poignant stories from the author's 35 years as an artist and therapist allows the reader to experience how the arts have been used throughout history to maintain healthy physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Spontaneity, heightened sensitivity to inner states, deep connectivity to self and other, and an awareness of energetic and embodied shifts in consciousness are explored. It will be an excellent resource for those interested in learning how to engage with individuals and communities in order to address complex life challenges.