76 • Introduction to Art Therapy
the work, we may have increased potential to do harm as well as to heal. In any case, know-
ing the importance, meaning, and power of the relationship—both real and symbolic—is
basic to being a responsible art therapist.
Knowing the Process of Change in Therapy
Equally basic to comprehending the therapy part of the work is having some understanding
of the process of change. Although there is such a thing as one-trial learning, most psycho-
logical therapies take time and go through stages. This is true whether the treatment is short
term or long term, and whether it is open ended or time limited. There are many variations,
depending on multiple factors, but art therapists, like other clinicians, need to have a sense
of the shape of the therapeutic process over time.
As with theories and techniques, clinicians often disagree about the names or the nature
of the sequential stages or phases in treatment. However, most agree that they occur and
that they are, in a general way, predictable. There is always a beginning, a middle, and an
end, and the worker needs to understand the goals and interventions appropriate to each
phase. Otherwise, doing art therapy would be like flying blind, a situation unlikely to induce
security in either the pilot or the passenger(s).
Necessary Conditions: The Framework
Understanding therapy is as central for an art therapist as knowing art. In order to facilitate
authentic expression, the clinician needs to create what I have called a framework for free-
dom (Rubin, 2005b). The conditions necessary for effective art therapy tend to cut across
theoretical and stylistic preferences. Because of the concrete nature of the modality, they are
physical as well as psychological. Although it is rare that an art therapist finds or creates a
perfect set of conditions for her work, some are fundamental. Political as well as psychologi-
cal, they are closely intertwined.
A Supportive Setting
For example, before an art therapy program can take place in any kind of setting, somebody
needs to be convinced of its desirability. Depending on the chain of command among the
person(s) with the power to decide and those who implement, the support can vary. If those
choosing art therapy are able to facilitate positive attitudes in other staff members, achiev-
ing good conditions becomes a feasible goal.
However, it is not uncommon for a busy administrator to hire an art therapist, who
arrives only to discover that she is viewed suspiciously by her co-workers, sometimes even
by her supervisor. Indeed, one of the intra-institutional hazards faced by art therapists is the
possibility of envy from their co-workers, for the very reason that those receiving services
are frequently more willing to go to art therapy than to other less pleasurable activities.
In order to establish the basic conditions necessary for good art therapy, it is necessary
to have support within the setting from both administrators and colleagues. This requires
preparatory and ongoing education of the person responsible for overseeing the art therapy
program, who needs to understand just what its value can be in that particular setting. If
he or she is well informed and can educate others, the potential for effective work is greatly
enhanced. It is not sufficient to simply create an art therapy position or program in any
setting. Whether brand new or established, solid support for the physical and psychologi-
cal conditions needed for good art therapy must also be present. As with any partnership,
maintaining the alliance is essential.