Art Therapy With Jewish Ultra-Orthodox Children: Unique Characteristics, Benefits, and Conflicts

The paper presents the potential benefits and conflicts of the encounter between Jewish ultra-orthodox (UO) children – belonging to a closed and segregated group – and art therapy – with its cultural, Western, secular, and professional characteristics. The paper describes the complex interface betwe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Einat Doron
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.598917/full
Description
Summary:The paper presents the potential benefits and conflicts of the encounter between Jewish ultra-orthodox (UO) children – belonging to a closed and segregated group – and art therapy – with its cultural, Western, secular, and professional characteristics. The paper describes the complex interface between the therapeutic use of art as a form of free expression and religious commandments and restrictions. The dialogue between art, therapy, and cultural religious boundaries is described through a case study of an 8-year-old UO boy and a secular female art therapist. Issues such as self-expression, gender roles, and identity exploration are discussed, emphasizing the unique characteristics, benefits, and conflicts of such an encounter.
ISSN:1664-1078