For more than 50 years, art therapy has been in existence in the United States and Europe. What about in Asia? Although there has been an emergence of a movement to practice art therapy in Asia, art therapy is not yet fully established and recognized. For example, in Japan, there is currently no graduate schools which offer a master’s degree in art therapy, while graduate schools in the United States have extensive art therapy programs. (In New York City, there are 3 graduate schools which have art therapy departments.)
In this presentation, meanings of art therapy, especially its effectiveness, will be discussed; along with the visual presentations of art works by art therapy clients. The relationship between art therapy and the Chinese view of health will be also discussed.