Integrating art therapy into an alcoholism treatment program.

When art therapist mu ·t adapt their way of working in order to harmonize with an overall program of which art therapy i a small but nonetheless valuable part , they are frequently faced with a dilemma. On one hand is their desire to work in a style that accords with their cherished theoretical and personal beliefs. On the other i ~ the reality of facility requirements and limitations. In such a situation, one needs to hold fast to a basic belief that orne art therapy is better than no art therapy. Among my cherished beliefs are these: art-making requires involvement over time; patients ought to be as free as posible to choo e material and subject matter; and patients need time to get acquainted with a rt-making before they can be expected to take risks in imagery. At the same time, as a clinician I believe that art therapy must be integrated with the overall t reatment approach. For two years I conducted a rt therapy as an integral part of a three-week alcoholi m treatment program in an inpatient facility. The program was geared toward a particular goal for clients who hared a common problem. Under the e circumstances the most effective means for offering art therapy was not via my preferred approaches but through highly structured procedure .