69CHAPTER 4
The Basics
... the art therapist is a specialist
who combines the qualification of being a competent artist with
specialized skills in the field of psychotherapy and education.
Edith KramerArt therapists know about art, about therapy, and about the interface between the two—doing
art therapy. In contrast to the broad range of theoretical perspectives on art therapy and the
wide variety in ways of working, most art therapists agree on the basic skills and understand-
ings necessary for effective work. In The Art of Art Therapy (Rubin, 1984), I described in detail
what I think art therapists need to know about each of these areas. This chapter will outline
the basic elements of art therapy, and then note some basic reasons why it is effective.
Although knowledge about art and therapy is essential, no amount of knowing leads to
effective art therapy without two basic beliefs shared by all art therapists—first, in the heal-
ing power of art, and second, in the capacity of all to create with art media. Necessary per-
sonal qualifications include sensitivity to human needs and expressions, emotional stability,
patience, flexibility, a sense of humor, a capacity for insight into psychological processes,
and the ability to listen attentively, to observe keenly, and to develop a rapport with others.
The Art Part
Knowing Materials
Whether entering the field via art or some other avenue, art therapists are familiar with
a wide variety of materials, tools, and processes (DVD 4.1). These include the surfaces on
which people work, like different types and weights of paper, as well as the tools used with
different media, like various kinds of brushes or clay-modeling implements. They also
include the basic media for drawing (A), painting (B), and modeling and constructing (C).
Art therapists are familiar with the specific qualities and particular capacities of each
type: pencils, pastels, crayons, markers, finger paints, water colors, tempera, acrylic, oil,
clay, plasticine, wood, wire, and so forth. Since art therapists are also artists, they have had
personal experience with different media and processes (Fig u re 4 .1). Such experience is the
best way to get to know them, and to help others learn to use them in a comfortable way.