70 • Introduction to Art Therapy
For practical as well as psychological reasons, the materials used in art therapy tend to
be simple and unstructured. Since art therapists value the importance of each individual’s
creativity, whatever is offered needs to allow for personal expression and definition. Even
if limited in quantity, the materials in art therapy should be of good enough quality to be
utilized energetically. Supplies and tools used in art therapy are also stored and cared for
with respect.
Individual Differences Many considerations affect decisions about which materials are
offered and how. Some are pragmatic, like budget and population, others are more personal.
There are in fact differences of opinion within the field about how many different materials
should be made available, seemingly unrelated to theoretical preference. At one end of the
continuum are those who are convinced that a few expressive materials are sufficient for
most circumstances. At the other end are those who believe in offering as many choices as
possible. Most art therapists fall somewhere in between.
Anyone who reads widely in art therapy will note a great variety of opinions about the
most desirable materials and processes. Sometimes preferences are explained as reasonable
for a particular population, setting, or purpose. Although such variables are indeed rel-
evant, there are also more subtle influences on an art therapist’s choice of materials.
One of my mentors, a psychologist named Margaret McFarland, taught that a child will
develop positive feelings about any materials or activities that are especially valued by his
mother. Thus, a preschool teacher noticed that her pupils must have known how much she
Figure 4.1 The art therapist as artist—Florence Cane.