A body-focused, trauma-informed art therapy that will appeal to art therapists, somatic experiencing practitioners, bodyworkers, artists, and mental health professionals
While art therapy traditionally focuses on therapeutic image-making and the cognitive or symbolic interpretation of these creations, Cornelia Elbrecht instructs readers how to facilitate the body-focused approach of guided drawing. Clients draw with both hands and eyes closed as they focus on their felt sense. Physical pain, tension, and emotions are expressed without words through bilateral scribbles. Clients then, with an almost massage-like approach, find movements that soothe their pain, discharge inner tension and emotions, and repair boundary breaches. Archetypal shapes allow therapists to safely structure the experience in a nonverbal way. Sensorimotor art therapy is a unique and self-empowering application of somatic experiencing–it is both body-focused and trauma-informed in approach–and assists clients who have experienced complex traumatic events to actively respond to overwhelming experiences until they feel less helpless and overwhelmed and are then able to repair their memories of the past. Elbrecht provides readers with the context of body-focused, trauma-informed art therapy and walks them through the thinking behind and process of guided drawing–including 100 full-color images from client sessions that serve as helpful examples of the work.
zephyrsquared –
Great book. I am an Art Therapist and work mainly with trauma survivors. Well written. Would recommend to others in my field.
mina loy –
Amazing!
As a therapist I’ve been using Guided Drawing with clients to shut off their PTSD responses and have had success so far!
Kim Bennett –
Really interesting book that is helpful for therapy, especially when someone tunes out of their body sensations. It is also a way to add in playfulness for those who haven’t been creative in years. Well-written and well-organized with plenty of clear photographs to illustrate the process.
Heavy Reader –
Practical use of art to bring emotional healing
rebecca stclair –
Amazing
Jayne Mcconkey –
I have been reading this in line with doing the virtual 7 week training – so am getting even more out of the book as a result; but it is a clearly written and interesting book. And a big addition to the Art Therapy (sensorimotor) – ‘bottom-up’ approach, which has been a little lacking in the literature.
I recommend it – and really recommend the course too!!
Tosha –
super interesting read if you are interested in the subject matter. May be a bit dry to someone not invested in the material.
inlori Customer –
Not at all what I expected.
Jo Fraser –
Excellent information explaining theory and practice of guided drawing from a highly experienced and innovative international Art therapist
florence –
parfait
Healing trauma –
Diagnosis during therapy
Rola –
Great book i loveit