Table Of ContentM
Mindful
Introducing a foundation for mindful art therapy practice, this book
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provides readers with a coherent framework that bridges eastern and western n
traditions. It presents different mindfulness approaches to guide students d
and practitioners in determining the most suitable and personalized method f
u
for their clinical practice, research, and professional development. The Art Therapy
l
book also features case studies and artworks from the treatment of common
A
clinical presentations such as anxiety and depression, and includes a guided
meditation script and audio file. r
t A Foundation for Practice
T
“Barbara Jean Davis is a master quilter of intentional mindfulness, art
h
therapy and collaborative partnerships… The book is an inspiring resource
e
destined to become a gold standard for practice.”
r
—Linda Thiessen, Founding President, British a
p
Columbia Artists in Healthcare Society
y
“Barbara Jean Davis takes art therapy to a new level, by empowering patients
to create art from a state of mindfulness, and to tap deeply into their deep
felt emotions that may be difficult to express, their own inner wisdom, and
to cultivate creativity! This book inspires me to refer more patients for art
therapy and to take it on for myself as a means of tapping into my own
creativity through mindfulness!”
—Associate Professor Dr. Vicki Kotsirilos, Medical Practitioner, Department of
Rehabilitation, Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University and General Practitioner B
a
r
Barbara Jean Davis is a psychologist and art therapist in private practice b
a
specializing in mindful art therapy. She is a member of the Australian Psychological
r
Society, and an international member of the American Art Therapy Association. a
Barbara has undertaken art therapy research at Monash University, Victoria J
e
Australia, including a Masters’ (art and cognitive intervention for test anxiety)
a
and Doctorate (phenomenological art therapy with international students). In 2000 n
she received a Glaxo Wellcome International prize on behalf of the Jean Hailes D
Foundation for innovative education using traditional art to inform indigenous a
health promotion in the west Kimberley region of Australia. Barbara currently v
i
divides her time between private practice, academic supervision, and developing s
,
mindful and creative programs for wellbeing. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
P
h
.
D
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Jessica Kingsley Publishers
73 Collier Street
London N1 9BE, UK
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA Barbara Jean Davis, Ph.D.
JKP
www.jkp.com
Front cover design: Mike Medaglia
“Dr Davis demonstrates how a number of theoretical approaches
combined with mindfulness exercises, guided imagery and art
making can be adapted to the interests and concerns of a client in
order to develop a beneficial approach to treatment. This book is of
practical importance for students and clinicians alike.”
—Mary B. Safrai, ATR-BC, Licensed Creative
Arts Therapist, Reiki Practitioner
“As a practicing therapist this book is of great interest to me. Barbara
takes me through each chapter, giving me the confidence to practice
mindful art therapy and offer this mode to the appropriate clients.
This is an exciting possibility for a therapist who has been working
in the field for 25 years and I want to thank her for it!”
—Marilyn Cobain, Private Practitioner Fellow
of the Australian Psychological Society
“I congratulate Barbara Jean Davis on her excellent book, which
makes suitable reading for all health professionals and the public.
It provides health professionals who work closely with patients
suffering mental illness with a safe therapeutic tool for healing as
part of their overall management plan. Barbara takes art therapy to
a new level, by empowering patients to create art from a state of
mindfulness and to tap deeply into their deep felt emotions that
may be difficult to express, their own inner wisdom and cultivate
creativity! This book inspires me to refer more patients for art
therapy and to take it on for myself as a means of tapping into my
own creativity through mindfulness!”
—Associate Professor Dr Vicki Kotsirilos, Medical
Practitioner, Department of Rehabilitation, Nutrition and
Sport, La Trobe University and General Practitioner
“Barbara Jean Davis is a master quilter of intentional mindfulness,
art therapy and collaborative partnerships. In the book she creates
her ‘masterpiece quilt’—a unique ‘nine-block’ design for facilitating
openness and engaging clients in processing experiences and
developing insights. It is an inspiring resource destined to become a
gold standard for practice.”
—Linda Thiessen, Founding President, British
Columbia Artists in Healthcare Society
Mindful Art Therapy
of related interest
Mindfulness and the Arts Therapies
Theory and Practice
Edited by Laury Rappaport, Ph.D.
ISBN 978 1 84905 909 1
eISBN 978 0 85700 688 2
The Ethical Space of Mindfulness in Clinical Practice
An Explanatory Essay
Donald McCown
ISBN 978 1 84905 850 6
eISBN 978 0 85700 510 6
The Compassionate Practitioner
How to create a successful and rewarding practice
Jane Wood
ISBN 978 1 84819 222 5
eISBN 978 0 85701 170 1
Shamanism and Spirituality in Therapeutic Practice
An Introduction
Christa Mackinnon
ISBN 978 1 84819 081 8
eISBN 978 0 85701 068 1
Focusing-Oriented Art Therapy
Accessing the Body’s Wisdom and Creative Intelligence
Laury Rappaport
ISBN 978 1 84310 760 6
eISBN 978 1 84642 852 4
Mindful Art Therapy
A Foundation for Practice
Barbara Jean Davis
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia
First published in 2015
by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
73 Collier Street
London N1 9BE, UK
and
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
www.jkp.com
Copyright © Barbara Jean Davis 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material
form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and
whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication)
without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the
provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a
licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby
Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission
to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher.
Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work
may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.
There is an MP3 file of a guided meditation available with this book which
can be found at the following link: www.jkp.com/mindful-art-therapy.html
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 84905 426 3
eISBN 978 0 85700 791 9
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my late parents whose legacy to “see
goodness in people and life around you” has led me to marvel
continually at the first flower of spring.
Contents
Acknowledgements 13
Preface 15
PART ONE: What Is Mindfulness?
Chapter 1 Introduction 21
What is mindfulness? 22
Chapter 2 Mindfulness Theories and Approaches 25
Neurological correlates of mindfulness 25
Clinical approaches and theories:
Two ways of approaching mindfulness 32
PART TWO: Mindful Art Therapy—
A Method for Practice
Chapter 3 Mindfulness Processes 39
Characteristics of mindfulness 39
Psychological functions of art and mindfulness 44
Art + mindfulness 45
Chapter 4 Art Therapy Perspectives 49
A tree, or not a tree: that is the question 49
Phenomenological art therapy 50
Contemplation 57
Art-making 57
Reflecting 59
Connecting the dots 60
Summing up 62
Chapter 5 Inside a Mindful Art Therapy Session 63
Phase one—facilitating mental openness 65
Phase two—processing experience 66
Phase three—interpretation 67
What actually happens in mindful art therapy? 68
