Art and Soul : Reflections on an Artistic Psychology

This new edition can best be described as an art therapist's journal of witness to the artistic struggle by clients engaged in the act of healing through art. Its goal is to provide ideas about soul restoration through art. The artistic psychology presented in the text addresses the hungers people feel and the symptoms that torment them and shows that in making art it is possible to fill emptiness, rediscover wonders, ease depression, revive joy, create meaning, and practice a form of spiritual discipline. The book is about imagination, reclamation, and soul restoration as well as making soul and reinvigorating life. The author does not advocate the elimination of scientific psychology but rather suggests ways to embrace emotional turmoil that may be beyond the scope of cognitive behaviorism and psychopharmacology. He paints the soul through art, imagery, and story, often digressing into deep pools or turbulent rivers of his experience that serve to build a steady vision dedicated to core values and beliefs. The book is intended for artists and therapists who are willing to enter into the mysteries of lost souls. It is also intended for lay persons who may be suffering the symptoms of soul loss. In addition, it will be of interest to pastoral counselors, social workers, and others in the fields of art and mental health. The text is greatly enhanced by powerful illustrations that highlight the chapters and case vignettes.