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It frames a “time capsule” fantasy from the 1950s to today, questioning the paradox of “art as therapy” versus “therapeutic art.” The discussion emphasizes creativity as an umbrella, the co-construction of meaning through client-created visual vocabularies, and therapists’ use of specialized lenses tailored to setting and population needs, balancing aesthetic and pragmatic goals.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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purpose does the introduction describe for re-creating art therapy’s image?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It argues for recreating the profession’s image and exploring a new model responsive to a postmodern mental health climate, integrating vision with current clinical realities.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What central paradox does the “Time Capsule” section question?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It questions whether art therapy would be born burdened by “art as therapy or therapeutic art,” treating the older either/or framework as limiting.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How does the text propose therapists should adapt across different clinical situations?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It suggests therapists should use specialized lenses for each setting and population, allowing approaches to change according to clients’ therapeutic needs and avoiding 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Dominant Narrative of Our Profession Shirley Riley, Los Angeles, CA  \nIntroductory Comments by Lynn Kapitan (Editor, 2006-present)  \nMany times over the past few years since Shirley Riley’suntimely death, I have conjured up my memory of her to ask for her opinion on the current state of the profession as it continues to struggle for a secure identity and place in the larger field of mental health care. Re-reading a favorite viewpoint written by Shirley almost 15 years ago (during Susan Spaniol’s term as Associate Editor), I find that it is still timely and thought provoking. A dose of Shirley’s perspective is always a good antidote for any self-inflicted pity, apathy, or despair in which art therapists might occasionally indulge. I highly recommend “Reauthoring the Dominant Narrative of Our Profession” (1996, 13[4], 289-292) and hope readers will enjoy this gem of a viewpoint!  \nIntroduction  \nThis is the appropriate time in the evolution of the profession of art therapy to re-create our image and explore a new model of our profession responsive to the postmodern mental health climate. To that end, I would like to take the reader on a fantasy trip and hypothesize what it would be like to move the birth of our occupation forward in time, from the 1950s to the present. After looking at art therapy from this visionary viewpoint, I will offer the reader a sobering look at today’s mental health concerns and how they seem to be influencing our clinical practice. The conclusion will incorporate both vision and reality, suggesting how we can move beyond our current concepts of art therapy to re-create a psychotherapeutic service that is both aesthetic and pragmatic. We can enter the postmodern society of mental health providers.  \nThe Time Capsule  \nIf art therapy was conceived in the 1990s, do you think it would be born burdened by the paradoxical question; is art therapy “art as therapy or therapeutic art”? Or is that familiar struggle just an outworn expression of the age of the Fifties, when the traditional analytical view of therapy was “either this way or nothing,” rather than,“this way and many more”? I would like to think that this issue, which has been conflictual in the past, would seem pointless, limiting, and diverting attention away from the quality of therapy that we have to offer.  \nIn the postmodern climate of competition that dominates our world of mental health services, I suspect there  \nwould be room for all our philosophies under the master umbrella of creativity. We would focus our talents on presenting art therapy as a method of treatment that most successfully gives access to the silent, visual knowing part of our intellect that is often neglected in the process of verbal therapy (Tinnin, 1990). We would assume that creativity isnot limited solely to a relationship with the art, and accept a broader definition of creativity that includes how we and our clients can find more successful ways to live in today’s social system. I think that the founders of the art therapy profession of the postmodern world would be seen as pragmatically aesthetic or, if you prefer, aesthetically pragmatic, offering the best of all possible worlds.  \nOur imaginary “founding parents” would be able to explain to other professionals that we conduct therapy in many ways and we follow many theoretical schema. In addition, weare also aware that with the introduction of a visible vocabulary created by the clients, the art therapy will modify theory to make it more personally responsive to each client. The aesthetics of choosing the right theory to “fit” the client’s needs turns the therapy into a co-constructed search for a new aspect of the problem-saturated situation. When the client is involved in re-creating his or her view of life, through artwork and reflections on art, the client embraces actions which lead to a “unique outcome”(White & Epsto","cbCailnYUOD2O0aO","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailnYUOD2O0aO","pdf",147267,"English","# Introduction\n## The Time Capsule\n## Creativity as a Master Umbrella\n## Co-constructed Therapy and Client Creativity\n## Specialized Lenses in Clinical Settings\n## Balancing Rigidity and Flexibility","[{\"question\":\"What purpose does the introduction describe for re-creating art therapy’s image?\",\"answer\":\"It argues for recreating the profession’s image and exploring a new model responsive to a postmodern mental health climate, integrating vision with current clinical realities.\"},{\"question\":\"What central paradox does the “Time Capsule” section question?\",\"answer\":\"It questions whether art therapy would be born burdened by “art as therapy or therapeutic art,” treating the older either/or framework as limiting.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the text propose therapists should adapt across different clinical situations?\",\"answer\":\"It suggests therapists should use specialized lenses for each setting and population, allowing approaches to change according to clients’ therapeutic needs and avoiding rigidity.\"}]","Reauthoring the Dominant Narrative of Our Profession - Volume 13 - Introductory Comments | PDF"]