The paper presents the potential benefits and conflicts of the encounter between Jewish ultra-orthodox (UO) children-belonging to a closed and segregated group-and art therapy-with its cultural, Western, secular, and professional characteristics. The paper describes the complex interface between the therapeutic use of art as a form of free expression and religious commandments and restrictions. The dialogue between art, therapy, and cultural religious boundaries is described through a case study of an 8-yearold UO boy and a secular female art therapist. Issues such as self-expression, gender roles, and identity exploration are discussed, emphasizing the unique characteristics, benefits, and conflicts of such an encounter.
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