Issue 1 Vol. 35 1993

The therapist as artist

PETERSEN, P.

In Germany there are - alongside therapists who are trained and qualified in psychology - also approx. 10.000 therapists trained in varying branches of the arts. This development necessitates an all-embracing theoretical concept, in order not to lead to a further division in therapeutics. This theme is evaluated in this article.

With reference to occidental trends the term "healing-art" is purposely chosen, however art in this context is neither concerned with decoration nor with ideal beauty, but is situative in giving form to a crisis in the "here and now" with the aid of aesthetic awareness, which leads to a rejuvenation of all the senses. The following areas of acitivity are to be understood under the term "healing-arts": movement, body- and dance-therapy, music- and art-therapy. Three criteria are essential for doing this work responsibly: 1. Therapeutic dialogue should be a private talk solely between patient and therapist. This should be carried out on a level of partnership, free of authority and concentrating exclusively on the conflict of the patient. 2. The patient's acceptation of his illness and the transformation from being ill into the therapeutic process, which does not bring about the elimination of the symptoms, but deals with the spontaneous, not causal explanable transformation. 3. Intensifying perception. Concentration in this provides the necessary counterweight to medication, which is alien to the body and the senses.

The combination of these three prerequisites is vital. To sum up, we see that art-therapy provides an essential counterpoint to the onesidedness of both classical medicine and psychology (the head without the body) with the advantages of being open for new developments, for existing and time-tested, above all also the embrace extra-medical, methods of therapy and to provide links with forms of modern art.

Keywords: art therapy, body and dance therapy, dance therapy, music therapy

Short Title: Petersen, P. (1993) PsyBeit 1:113

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