217CHAPTER 10
Places We Practice
Art is man’s most passionate rebellion against his fate.
André Malraux
A slogan to live by ... Out of the hospitals and into the world!
Bernard I. LevyIntroduction
An analyst once wrote: “Man creates, as it were, out of his mortal wounds” (Meerloo, 1968).
Most of the situations in this chapter concern problems that are not primarily psychiatric.
Instead, they have to do with stressful things that can happen to ordinary people—like ill-
ness, bereavement, violence, dislocation, or discrimination. In order to be available to those
who are facing crises of all sorts, art therapy has migrated from the mental hospitals and
outpatient clinics where it began into new places—like general hospitals, hospices, shelters,
and schools.
These are all forms of secondary prevention—helping those who are at increased risk for
psychological problems—because of acute crises like war, as well as chronic conditions like
poverty. If society paid as much attention to the prevention of emotional distress as to its
treatment, the economic and social savings would be enormous. And because art is a nor-
mal part of everyday life, art therapy is an especially good way to promote mental health.
For that reason, it is an extremely compatible modality for primary prevention—facili-
tating wellness. For example, the editor of a book about art therapy with families in crisis
(Linesch, 1993) has also proposed that families celebrate milestones by making art together
(Linesch, 2000).
Although its origins were in diverse settings, the developing discipline of art therapy grew
up mainly within psychiatry, in hospitals and clinics. At the 1978 American Art Therapy
Association (AATA) Conference, Bernard I. Levy, with his usual flair for drama, proposed
“A slogan to live by ... Out of the hospitals and into the world!” In the years since then, the
extension of art therapy from the clinic into the community has progressed steadily, reach-
ing new people in new places and still expanding.