Art Therapy in Response to Natural Disasters, Mass Violence, and Crises
With contributions from a range of expert voices within the field, this book explores the use of art therapy as a response to traumatic events. Offering rare insight into ways in which art therapists have responded to recent crises, this is a unique resource for art therapists looking to coordinate interventions for large-scale disaster and resulting trauma.
Chapters address a range of environmental and manmade disasters around the world, including hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, mass shootings and forced migration, highlighting the impact of an art therapy approach in dealing with widespread trauma. Covering both community and individual cases, it provides an in-depth view into the challenges of working in these settings, including the effects on the therapist themselves, and offers practical information on how to coordinate, fund and maintain responses in these environments.
The first book to focus on disaster response in art therapy, this will be an invaluable contribution to the field in an increasingly vital area.
Chapters address a range of environmental and manmade disasters around the world, including hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, mass shootings and forced migration, highlighting the impact of an art therapy approach in dealing with widespread trauma. Covering both community and individual cases, it provides an in-depth view into the challenges of working in these settings, including the effects on the therapist themselves, and offers practical information on how to coordinate, fund and maintain responses in these environments.
The first book to focus on disaster response in art therapy, this will be an invaluable contribution to the field in an increasingly vital area.
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Reviews
As I read Dr. Scarce's book, I was reminded of Vedran Smailovic, who became famous by playing his cello in the streets of Sarajevo during the siege to protest violence and murder. By playing during bombings and funerals he gave beauty and hope to people. Similarly, this book describes ways art therapists have used the arts in responding to natural and man-made disasters. As Scarce wrote, "It is not just creative art intervention or creative modality that we bring to a disaster site. We often bring hope to those suffering." This book reminds us of how essential art therapists are in times of crisis.
Scarce provides a powerful compilation of art therapists' ethical and compassionate responses to globally experienced disaster events. For professionals who aim to serve others and practice self-care following times of crisis, this book is a must-read!
Each chapter had me reflect on my own disaster response experiences as the authors remarkably illustrate art therapy frameworks and interventions across solitude and connection, immediacy and sustainability, universal loss and community needs, directed and spontaneous, suffering and hope.
The value of this book is not only that it provides a guide to things to consider but that it presents a model of ethics, humility and cultural respect towards survivors, which is evident in every chapter. Scarce has provided a great testimony to the depth of hearts and minds of creative arts therapists instigating arts-based community action and healing. To read the book is to look into the inside story, the honest recounting of, and reflection on, how things actually started for these programs.