Art Therapy, Dreams, and Healing: Beyond the Looking Glass synthesizes methods to work with one’s dreams through art therapy and introduces the reader to brief creative methods, Gestalt and Jungian experiential methods, and research on lucid dreaming and dream re-entry. The author provides a unique, clear and concise synthesis of 19 available dreamwork methods to find the message of your dreams, with examples from her own 35 years of psychotherapy practice. Along with a classification of types and functions of dreams, chapters include information such as how to keep a dream journal, how to remember one’s dreams, how to identify 25 different dream types and how to follow your own dreamwork process. This book provides a succinct blend of available dreamwork methods for readers to find the existential message of their dreams and grow from them.

Dreams and Nightmares in Art Therapy draws on the author’s extensive art psychotherapy practice and teaching to provide a wide range of creative writing and visual art methods for dreamwork. Blending theories such as Gestalt therapy and Jungian psychology with clinical examples from Dr. Hamel’s own clients, this unique book offers an array of art therapy and other creative dreamwork methods, covering a large variety of media such as mask making, clay, collage, sandtray and painting. The author also presents seven different types of nightmares and introduces a simple and efficient five-steps art therapy method for reducing their intensity and their frequency. The book concludes with a unique synthesis of 11 dreamwork methods to draw wisdom from dream journals accumulated over a long period of time. This book is ideal for anyone interested in developing a personal or professional practice using dream art therapy. The methods presented here will captivate readers with their originality and provide inspiration for all kinds of psychological, artistic and spiritual development.

In Dreaming, Healing and Imaginative Arts Practice, Kathleen Anne Connellan brings dream theory together with art practice and art psychotherapy to demonstrate how releasing the imagination can open-up processes of healing. In this interdisciplinary and richly innovative book, Connellan focuses on nocturnal dreams, day dreams, memory and reverie, and she explores how to access, depict and use these dream images to discover personal healing. Unlike other dream journals, Connellan encourages visual recording and personal experimentation with a variety of materials and modalities, regardless of artistic ability. Each chapter is divided into a theoretical and practical half, where the theoretical section addresses the foundations of dream theory and philosophy, and the practical section offers step-by-step exercises that lead you to the creation of something restorative. Connellan covers a theme in each chapter which helps merge the unconscious with the conscious: the nature of dreaming and the constitution of the psyche, the archetype and our shadow selves, belonging, moving, pain and pleasure, and all the senses in remembering. Dreaming, Healing and Imaginative Arts Practice is a unique blend of scholarly research, beautiful illustration and hands-on practicality that allows the reader to interpret their dreams for self-expression and self-knowledge. This work will be of great interest to those studying post-graduate psychology, social work, art and arts therapy, and an essential resource for art therapists, creative therapists, alternative psychotherapists and social workers in practice and in training.

In Dreaming, Healing and Imaginative Arts Practice, Kathleen Anne Connellan brings dream theory together with art practice and art psychotherapy to demonstrate how releasing the imagination can open-up processes of healing. In this interdisciplinary and richly innovative book, Connellan focuses on nocturnal dreams, day dreams, memory and reverie, and she explores how to access, depict and use these dream images to discover personal healing. Unlike other dream journals, Connellan encourages visual recording and personal experimentation with a variety of materials and modalities, regardless of artistic ability. Each chapter is divided into a theoretical and practical half, where the theoretical section addresses the foundations of dream theory and philosophy, and the practical section offers step-by-step exercises that lead you to the creation of something restorative. Connellan covers a theme in each chapter which helps merge the unconscious with the conscious: the nature of dreaming and the constitution of the psyche, the archetype and our shadow selves, belonging, moving, pain and pleasure, and all the senses in remembering. Dreaming, Healing and Imaginative Arts Practice is a unique blend of scholarly research, beautiful illustration and hands-on practicality that allows the reader to interpret their dreams for self-expression and self-knowledge. This work will be of great interest to those studying post-graduate psychology, social work, art and arts therapy, and an essential resource for art therapists, creative therapists, alternative psychotherapists and social workers in practice and in training.

Jungian Art Therapy aims to provide a clear, introductory manual for art therapists on how to navigate Jung’s model of working with the psyche. This exciting new text circumambulates Jung’s map of the mind so as to reinforce the theoretical foundations of analytical psychology while simultaneously defining key concepts to help orient practitioners, students, and teachers alike. The book provides several methods, which illustrate how to work with the numerous images originating from the unconscious and glean understanding from them. Throughout the text readers will enjoy clinical vignettes to support each chapter and illuminate important lessons.

As well as providing an authoritative history of art therapy, it covers such diverse topics as the philosophy of art therapy, the way attitudes to insanity have changed, the role of art therapy in the context of post-war rehabilitation and the treatment of tuberculosis patients, Surrealism, and Britain's first therapeutic community.

Today’s world urges us to look outward for life’s meaning and purpose—but our inner lives are the true source of the deeper knowing that gives life meaning. In Finding the Wild Inside, Marilyn Hagar encourages readers to discover that creative place inside us that knows there is more to life than we are currently living—the less rational part of ourselves that she calls our “wild inside,” a place most of us have not been taught to navigate. Using stories from her own life—from infancy through caring for her elderly parents as an adult—Hagar shows us how, through playing in the arts, contemplating our nightly dreams, fostering our intuition, and reconnecting to Mother Nature, we can discover our own authentic wild self. Opening to this part of ourselves, she teaches, isn’t so much a search as it is a listening, a curiosity, a playfulness, and a learning how to think symbolically, all of which can be cultivated. Most of all, it takes a willingness to lay down our egos and open ourselves to the awe and wonder of the wild universe of which we are a part. Instructive and inspiring, Finding the Wild Inside is a blueprint to living life from the inside out—and, in doing so, walking a path of authenticity and belonging.

A leader in art therapy shares powerful developments in the field and provides a road-map for unlocking the spiritual and emotional healing benefits of creative expression The field of art therapy is discovering that artistic expression can be a powerful means of personal transformation and emotional and spiritual healing. In this book, Shaun McNiff—a leader in expressive arts therapy for more than three decades—reflects on a wide spectrum of activities aimed at reviving art’s traditional healing function. In chapters ranging from “Liberating Creativity” and “The Practice of Creativity in the Workplace” to “From Shamanism to Art Therapy,” he illuminates some of the most progressive views in the rapidly expanding field of art therapy, including: • The “practice of imagination” as a powerful force for transformation • A challenge to literal-minded psychological interpretations of artworks (“black colors indicate depression”) and the principle that even disturbing images have inherent healing properties • The role of the therapist in promoting an environment conducive to free expression and therapeutic energies • The healing effects of group work, with people creating alongside one another and interacting in the studio • “Total expression,” combining arts such as movement, storytelling, and drumming with painting and drawing

"The author synthesizes findings from scientific research to outline techniques for interpreting and using dreams to reveal hidden health problems, speed recovery and promote lifelong health."--Amazon.com.

Pablo Picasso once suggested that everyone begins life with an inherent artist's spirit. The challenge lies in preserving this creative essence as we transition into adulthood. Reflecting on the past, it is evident how deeply intertwined creativity was in everyday life. Women were the master creators, knitting intricate sweaters, tailoring clothes, jewelry pieces, and decoration items, and crafting homemade edibles like pickles, chutneys, chips, nachos, and jams. Their hands breathed life into their creations, and their pride echoed in words, "I have made them." Similarly, men would mold wheels for carts, among other things, beaming with the same sense of accomplishment. These everyday acts of creation brought them closer to their souls and ignited a distinct joy. Fast-forward to the present and this pleasure of creation seems to be dwindling. The influx of ready-made solutions has made human hands idle. Our connection with the pure joy of creating something and its unique satisfaction is vanishing swiftly in this era of convenience. However, there is an urgent need for us to rekindle our bond with creativity. Creativity mustn't be pursued as a profession but be embraced as a conduit for pure pleasure and self-expression. Engaging in activities that reconnect us with our core is essential, allowing our souls to come alive. Remarkably, a flourishing creative spirit manifests a quiet mind, and anger seems to recede. It can be interpreted that anger is often an indication of unchanneled creative energy. Let's remember the therapeutic power of creativity, too. Art Therapy has shown promising effects in alleviating symptoms related to pain and anxiety. It's time we valued creativity as a hobby, a therapeutic practice, and a soulful journey that enriches our lives. Let's keep the artist within us alive and thrive in the beautiful chaos of creation.