Group art therapy: supporting social inclusion through an ancient practice?
| Pages | 6-12 |
| Published date | 12 February 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-12-2017-0051 |
| Date | 12 February 2018 |
| Author | Sue Holttum |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
Group art therapy: supporting social
inclusion through an ancient practice?
Sue Holttum
Abstract
Purpose –Group art therapy involves art-making, which has been used throughout human history to
symbolise struggle and transformation with group support. The purpose of this paper is to discuss two recent
papers on how and why group art therapy may be helpful.
Design/methodology/approach –A search was carried out to find recent papers on group art therapy,
with a focus on how and why it may be helpful.
Findings –One paper reported on 119 accounts of why group art therapy may be helpful. Five things
seemed specific to group art therapy: using artworks to express experiences symbolically, connect with
others, place confusing feelings outside oneself, and be playful, and following a set routine with others. The
other paper reported in detail on group art therapy sessions with people who had a diagnosis of borderline
personality disorder. Group interaction became most supportive when the art therapist clearly focused on
people’s thoughts and feelings about artworks made by group members.
Originality/value –It has been unclear how group art therapy may help people. Understanding this means
researchers can do more rigorous research on it. The two papers discussed represent probably the largest
synthesis of different sources on how group art therapy might work, and the most detailed observation of what
happens in practice. Both papers suggest group art therapy uses art to symbolise struggle and transformation with
support from others, thus normalising this process and including those going through it rather than marginalising
them. Parallels can be drawn with older healing rituals, in which crisis and struggle were viewed as normal.
Keywords Mechanisms, Social inclusion, Borderline personality disorder, Group art therapy
Paper type Viewpoint
Similarities between group art therapy and older healing rituals
Gabel and Robb (2017) point to a lack of clarity about how and why group art therapy might help
people. One aspect of art therapy that seems overlooked in much of the research and clinical
literature is how artwork has been used for thousands of years as part of group rituals for helping
both individuals and groups to express emotions and to struggle through a crisis (McNiff, 2004).
In explaining this neglect of such practices, McNiff (2004) suggests that today’s society places
high value on being rational and less on emotional expression, and that people experiencing
emotional crises are often marginalised. In the two papers I discuss here, I follow McNiff’s (2004)
lead in highlighting similarities between group art therapy and older ways of struggling through
crisis, in which such struggle was accepted as a normal part of life. People in crisis were not
excluded but included and supported through it.
How does group art therapy work?
Knowing how art therapy may help people has a bearing, Gabel and Robb (2017) suggest, on
what researchers should measure when they are investigating whether art therapy is effective.
Gabel and Robb (2017) therefore searched the literature on art therapy to see what a large
number of papers and books said about why it should be helpful. In particular, Gabel and Robb
(2017) point out, qualitative research looks at how and why therapeutic effects might come
about. They used a method called thematic meta-synthesis (Thomas and Harden, 2008) to sort
through published material to find common themes.
Sue Holttum is a Senior
Lecturer at the Canterbury
Christ Church University,
Canterbury, UK.
PAG E 6
j
MENTALHEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
VOL. 22 NO. 1 2018, pp. 6-12, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 DOI 10.1108/MHSI-12-2017-0051
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