Play Therapy and Art Therapy for Substance Abuse Clients Who Have a History of Incest Victimization

Revisiting Holistic Interventions in Substance Abuse Treatment

“…The process of art demands visualization (Glover, 1999;Horay, 2006). Arnheim (1966) discussed a person's dependence upon the senses for thinking, which he termed as "visual thinking."…”

“…This is the process of tapping into feelings and recognizing the thoughts that those feelings invoke, which in turn are expressed in a final art product. The artwork that is produced is a complex collaboration between emotions, thoughts, and the art form itself (Glover, 1999;Horay, 2006). According to Peloquin (1988), art evokes deep emotional reactions in the viewer, because it establishes a connection between the viewer, the artist, and the artwork.…”

“…The first approach places the emphasis on the end product itself, with a lesser focus given to the client's interpretation and feeling about the art. This approach is usually introduced in combination with other types of therapy (Glover, 1999;Hanes, 2007;Horay, 2006;Matto et al, 2003). The second approach to art therapy emphasizes the client's feelings and interpretation of the art as the ultimate goal, which is useful when verbal expression is limited (Glover, 1999;Riley & Malchiodi, 2002).…”

“…Innovative treatment strategies are critical in order to help individuals in recovery from alcohol and other drug abuse move away from destructive patterns of behavior (Matto, Corcoran, & Fossler, 2003). Rates of relapse are high among individuals treated for substance abuse (Glover, 1999). The Alcohol Anonymous (AA) model attributes relapse to the person not having hit bottom.…”

“…The Alcohol Anonymous (AA) model attributes relapse to the person not having hit bottom. However, relapse may occur due to ineffective treatment methods that are unable to intervene at different stages of the disease (Glover, 1999). Therefore the question is presented: Do holistic interventions considered as expressive therapy have the potential to increase the effectiveness of traditional outpatient substance abuse treatment methods?…”