Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) Practices

What is PhotoTherapy and how does it differ from Therapeutic Photography? Is Photo- Therapy simply "Art Therapy using photos", or something different? And what, then is "Photo-Art-Therapy"? Is all this confusing? Yes! And in this Article written specifically for an Art Therapy Jo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Judy Weiser
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Universidad Complutense de Madrid 2015-02-01
Series:Arteterapia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ARTE/article/view/47490
_version_ 1818308054843654144
author Judy Weiser
author_facet Judy Weiser
author_sort Judy Weiser
collection DOAJ
description What is PhotoTherapy and how does it differ from Therapeutic Photography? Is Photo- Therapy simply "Art Therapy using photos", or something different? And what, then is "Photo-Art-Therapy"? Is all this confusing? Yes! And in this Article written specifically for an Art Therapy Journal readership, I hope to provide a useful framework for positioning each of these in terms of their relationship to the others, and clarify their similarities and differences, including the areas where they overlap -- and explain the criteria used for distinguishing between them. I will explain the "Continuum of Photo-based Therapy Practices" (with PhotoTherapy at one end, and "Therapeutic Photography" at the other) that is in common use around the world for positioning one's practice so that others will be able to easily understand what it is. I will then locate the sub-category of "Photo-Art-Therapy" from within this context. I will then illustrate with "real-life" examples how I (both a U.S. Registered Art Therapist and Canadian Registered Psychologist) have used my knowledge of Art Therapy theory and practice to enhance the potential effectiveness of my PhotoTherapy work during therapy sessions with clients -- in ways that therapists and other mental health professionals who have not been educated about Art Therapy would be unable to do (or understand). By the end of this Article, I hope that readers will recognize that, whether an Art Therapist works from the "art-during-therapy" ("Art Psychotherapy") model of practice or the "art-as-the-therapy-itself" (Therapeutic Art Activities") model, they can benefit from adding PhotoTherapy techniques to their repertoire of adjunctive interventions: using their clients' own personal snapshots and family photographs (and their interactions with these) to evoke feelings, thoughts, and memories -- and related values, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations) in ways not possible when using other art media (or words) alone. After the definitions have been clarified and examples illustrated, the final Section of this Article will provide readers with information about many current practitioners in Spain (and how to contact them), who have long been using photos during their therapy work or as therapeutic/healing activities for self or others. Some are Art Therapists and some are not --and their differences will clearly illustrate the flexibility of the beneficial "partnership" of PhotoTherapy and Art Therapy.
first_indexed 2024-12-13T07:08:11Z
format Article
id doaj.art-bd9d6d68dc0f4b0797d8179f681210d7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1886-6190
1988-8309
language Spanish
last_indexed 2024-12-13T07:08:11Z
publishDate 2015-02-01
publisher Universidad Complutense de Madrid
record_format Article
series Arteterapia
spelling doaj.art-bd9d6d68dc0f4b0797d8179f681210d72022-12-21T23:55:44ZspaUniversidad Complutense de MadridArteterapia1886-61901988-83092015-02-019015919010.5209/rev_ARTE.2014.v9.4749045595Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) PracticesJudy Weiser0Registered Psychologist, Registered Art Therapist, Consultant and International TrainerWhat is PhotoTherapy and how does it differ from Therapeutic Photography? Is Photo- Therapy simply "Art Therapy using photos", or something different? And what, then is "Photo-Art-Therapy"? Is all this confusing? Yes! And in this Article written specifically for an Art Therapy Journal readership, I hope to provide a useful framework for positioning each of these in terms of their relationship to the others, and clarify their similarities and differences, including the areas where they overlap -- and explain the criteria used for distinguishing between them. I will explain the "Continuum of Photo-based Therapy Practices" (with PhotoTherapy at one end, and "Therapeutic Photography" at the other) that is in common use around the world for positioning one's practice so that others will be able to easily understand what it is. I will then locate the sub-category of "Photo-Art-Therapy" from within this context. I will then illustrate with "real-life" examples how I (both a U.S. Registered Art Therapist and Canadian Registered Psychologist) have used my knowledge of Art Therapy theory and practice to enhance the potential effectiveness of my PhotoTherapy work during therapy sessions with clients -- in ways that therapists and other mental health professionals who have not been educated about Art Therapy would be unable to do (or understand). By the end of this Article, I hope that readers will recognize that, whether an Art Therapist works from the "art-during-therapy" ("Art Psychotherapy") model of practice or the "art-as-the-therapy-itself" (Therapeutic Art Activities") model, they can benefit from adding PhotoTherapy techniques to their repertoire of adjunctive interventions: using their clients' own personal snapshots and family photographs (and their interactions with these) to evoke feelings, thoughts, and memories -- and related values, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations) in ways not possible when using other art media (or words) alone. After the definitions have been clarified and examples illustrated, the final Section of this Article will provide readers with information about many current practitioners in Spain (and how to contact them), who have long been using photos during their therapy work or as therapeutic/healing activities for self or others. Some are Art Therapists and some are not --and their differences will clearly illustrate the flexibility of the beneficial "partnership" of PhotoTherapy and Art Therapy.http://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ARTE/article/view/47490phototherapyart therapyphototherapeuticWeiser
spellingShingle Judy Weiser
Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) Practices
Arteterapia
phototherapy
art therapy
photo
therapeutic
Weiser
title Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) Practices
title_full Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) Practices
title_fullStr Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) Practices
title_full_unstemmed Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) Practices
title_short Establishing the Framework for Using Photos in Art Therapy (and other Therapies) Practices
title_sort establishing the framework for using photos in art therapy and other therapies practices
topic phototherapy
art therapy
photo
therapeutic
Weiser
url http://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ARTE/article/view/47490
work_keys_str_mv AT judyweiser establishingtheframeworkforusingphotosinarttherapyandothertherapiespractices