Art Therapy and Anger

Book excerpt: Professionals working in a range of clinical settings are regularly called upon to work with angry clients, and they may find their skills and resources for working with this powerful emotion limited. Art Therapy and Anger demonstrates how the non-verbal medium of art therapy provides an ideal outlet for the expression of thoughts and feelings that are too complex and painful to put into words, presenting a new and practical approach to dealing with this area of need. Marian Liebmann argues that clients of all ages will benefit from the art-making process, which helps them to slow down and consider their emotions more calmly. The tangible product of their efforts allows clients to assess and react to what they have depicted, providing a lucid and safe framework for better understanding the causes and effects of their anger. This book draws together contributions from art therapists who work in a wide variety of contexts, including work with offenders, mental health clients, clients with brain injury and those with cancer, with the view of helping clients to manage their anger more constructively. This positive, practical volume will be of great interest to art therapists and students, as well as practitioners working with angry clients in various fields such as mental health, probation, counselling and medicine.