Arts-Based Approaches to Promote Mental Health and Well-Being

""This book describes an unusually well-designed program, inspired and informed by what arts therapists have learned about effective ways of helping children and caregivers under stress through creative activities. It is a beautiful model of how to develop and implement a therapeutic arts-based intervention, safely offered by thoughtfully supported non-clinicians."" Judith A. Rubin, president of Expressive Media Inc. and author of Child Art Therapy ""This insightful book beautifully illustrates how arts-based approaches tap into our inherent creative instincts to support children and families that face adversity. By exploring the evolutionary roots of artistic expression, Hommel and Kaimal reveal how arts practices can foster a sense of agency, resilience, and community belonging. Arts-Based Approaches to Mental Health and Well-Being goes beyond individual therapy, emphasizing the essential role of families, caregivers, and communities in nurturing children's development and addressing adversities collectively. Through a comprehensive exploration of arts-based psychosocial approaches, the authors provide a compelling case for the transformative power of creative expression."" Susan Magsamen, executive director of International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine ""This book shares the experience of an arts-based psychosocial support program that is both rigorous in terms of the design, training, and evaluation, yet flexible in the diverse environments where it is implemented in different parts of the world. Most notable is the ability to adapt to different contexts by regularly evaluating what is working well, and what requires adjustment. The feedback loop has enabled the program to grow in terms of its reach, quality, and sustainability. The experience documented in this book offers important insights for arts-based approaches that support children including those with disabilities, their parents, other caregivers, and community members."" Gary Shaye, lead advisor and program ambassador for Save the Children