History • 67That year, a delegation of art therapists consulted with mental health colleagues in China,
and in 1996 a similar group visited Indonesia.
These beginnings, reported in the first edition of this text, have multiplied exponen-
tially since then, with many from other countries who have trained in the United States
initiating programs and beginning to develop a literature by translating English books
and by writing books of their own that include chapters by authors from various countries
(Danneker, 2004; Hampe, 2007; Seki, 2007). Within the last year I have written an intro-
duction to a Korean translation of this book, a chapter for a Japanese book, and a foreword
to a Thai translation of Edith Kramer’s most recent book (2000). I am sure many others are
similarly involved.
Individuals are actively contributing to one another’s literature (Brooke, 2006; Schaverien
& Case, 2007; Spring, 2007), and a recent book about the history and nature of the creative
arts therapies, while mainly about the United Kingdom, also takes into account develop-
ments in other English-speaking countries (Jones, 2005). What is impressive about all of
this international networking is that Newsletters of the International Networking Group of
Art Therapists list correspondents on every continent. Even more noteworthy is the rapidly
growing number of art therapy associations and journals around the world. Art therapy
is an idea that has indeed become global in a relatively short period of time since its first
beginnings in the 1940s.
In addition to training initiated by indigenous groups, many Americans have taught
courses abroad, many have instituted summer internships in other countries, and a num-
ber of educational institutions in the United States and Canada have established satellite
programs in Europe and Israel. As noted earlier, art and other expressive therapies have
expanded rapidly in the latter, due, I suspect, to a continuing state of fear and vigilance.
Much of the development in art therapy abroad has been stimulated not only by man-made
terrorist disasters, but also by environmental ones, like tsunamis in India (G).
Since retirement from clinical practice ten years ago, I have had the pleasure of teaching
art therapy on many continents. In Europe I have visited and presented in Sweden, Finland,
Italy, Germany, Estonia, and Ireland. I have taught in Israel, where art therapists are found
in every school and where the profession has developed rapidly. I have also taught in South
Korea, where there are two strong professional associations and many training programs,
some in art therapy and others in expressive therapies. Asian art therapy is growing very
rapidly, with a strong national association and training program in Taiwan (H), and recent
developments in Japan, noted earlier. In Bangkok, as mentioned in the last chapter, the Asia
Pacific Art Therapy Center has been founded, several seminars have been held (I), and an
international conference is planned for the year 2010 (J).
In Brazil, which is a vast country, art therapy groups within it have formed a federation
and are in the process of developing standards of training and practice. I was impressed by
the sophistication of those I taught in both Rio de Janiero and São Paulo (K). It has been
thrilling to observe the rapid development of art therapy around the globe, which I have no
doubt will continue.
Although the soil and atmosphere in different parts of the world naturally germinate a
variety of art therapy plants, some sturdier than others, it seems clear that the discipline, at
least for now, is here to stay. It is still growing in the United States, despite massive budget
cutbacks and radical changes in human services. Since the places where art therapists work
(and the work they do) have continued to proliferate, it would appear that continued growth
is inevitable, at least in the foreseeable future.