THE FIELD OF WORK OF THE SCHOOL ART THERAPIST AND ITS UNIQUE POTENTIAL FOR THE SCHOOL’S SUPPORT TEAM

TitleTHE FIELD OF WORK OF THE SCHOOL ART THERAPIST AND ITS UNIQUE POTENTIAL FOR THE SCHOOL’S SUPPORT TEAM
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsRatnik, M, Rüütel, E
JournalProblems of Education in the 21st Century
Volume77
Issue1
Start Page142-155
PaginationContinuous
Date PublishedFebruary/2019
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1822-7864
Other NumbersE-ISSN 2538-7111
Keywordsart therapeutic relationship, artistic expression, content of school art therapy, school art therapy
Abstract

Qualitative research was carried out to examine the first experiences of the implementation of art therapy in Estonian schools. The aim was to ascertain the facets of the activities of the school art therapists and the potential of art therapy in the work of a school’s support team.
Within the framework of the research, art therapists and management staff from four general education schools were interviewed. The work foci and specifics of the art therapist’s work were described on this basis, and the potential of school art therapy in reaching educational goals was highlighted. The interviewees characterised the work of a school art therapist in terms of the artistic and creative nature of art therapy, the co-operation-based supportive therapeutic relationship; the variability of the forms of work; and the mitigating, relaxing, and school-adaptation-supporting effect of art therapy. Management staff indicated that the art therapist enriches the work of the school’s support system, as creativity-based methods make the strengths and development potential of students more visible, it is possible to choose from among various specialists to help children, and art therapy can be applied as a primary preventive intervention.

URLhttp://oaji.net/articles/2019/457-1550425422.pdf
DOI10.33225/pec/19.77.142
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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