History Lesson: The Beginnings and Progression of Expressive Arts Therapy

Expressive Arts Therapy can be traced back to the mid twentieth century and has beautifully blossomed into the twenty first century. That said, the field of is rather new and is still evolving and expanding. Expressive Arts Therapy is viewed as a hybrid discipline, meaning that it is rooted heavily in the fields of psychology, and of course – art. The work of an art therapist draws characteristics from both psychology and art, creating a unique, new entity. Art-making comes naturally to humans; therefore, the development of the profession of art therapy is a formal application of long-standing human tradition influenced by the changing times and the needs of society. Modern expressive arts therapy emerged in the early 1900’s when psychiatrists began categorizing the spontaneously created art works of asylum patients. 

The field of psychology has a long and unfortunate history of stigmatizing mental illness. We have come a long way, but sadly there is still a stigma surrounding the very delicate but necessary topic of mental health. In the nineteenth century “mental illness was regarded with fear and misunderstanding as a manifestation of either divine or demonic forces” (Vick, 2003, p.7). In response, researchers questioned misbeliefs about mental illness and began to theorize that creative expression may be used to illustrate the truth about mental illness and how to combat it effectively. The potential for art to be used as more than just a gateway into the mind, but as a treatment tool was beginning to be recognized. 

During the 1940's to 1970's, Margaret Naumburf began organizing the expressive arts into therapy as we know it -- she is often referred to as the Mother of Art Therapy. With her influence, some of the first formal degree programs in art therapy began to form. In the 1970’s is where we first saw a shift from formalized verbal directives in session to incorporating the use of expressive materials and allowing clients to interpret their own work. Since there was no formal training for this profession, many early expressive arts therapists were trained in other fields and often mentored by psychiatrists, analysts, and other medical health professionals (Vick, 2003, p.8). The founding of the American Art Therapy Association in 1969, along increased number of research publications from the 1970's to 1980's, further evolved the professional identity of today's expressive arts therapist -- the field has has continued to grow and flourish since.

Written by Jeana Alfano, Artful Life Intern, Criminal Justice

Modified by Jen Spanedda, Artful Life Intake Coordinator