Drawing from Within: Using Art to Treat Eating Disorders

Drawing from Within is an introductory guide for those wanting to explore the use of art with clients with eating disorders. Art therapy is a particularly effective therapeutic intervention for this group, as it allows them to express uncomfortable thoughts and feelings through artistic media rather than having to explain them verbally. Lisa D. Hinz outlines the areas around which the therapist can design effective treatment programmes, covering family influences, body image, self-acceptance, problem solving and spirituality. Each area is discussed in a separate chapter and is accompanied by suggestions for exercises, with advice on materials to use and how to implement them. Case examples show how a therapy programme can be tailored to the individual client and photographs of client artwork illustrate the text throughout. Practical and accessible to practitioners at all levels of experience, this book gives new hope to therapists and other mental health professionals who want to explore the potential of using art with clients with eating disorders.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Using Art to Treat Eating Disorders. 2. Eating Disorders and Target Areas for Healing. 3. Getting Started Using Art in Therapy. 4. Effects of the Eating Disorder. 5. Understanding Childhood Influences. 6. Promoting Problem Solving Skills. 7. Reclaiming Emotions. 8. Addressing Body Image Issues. 9. Enhancing Self Acceptance. 10. Fostering a Spiritual Connection. 11. When Therapy Comes to an End. 12. Final Considerations. References. Subject index. Author index.

About the Author :
Lisa D. Hinz is a clinical psychologist and a registered art therapist. She received a PhD in psychology from Louisiana State University and a post-doctoral certificate in art therapy from the University of Louisville. She currently lectures at the Centre for Health at St. Helena Hospital, CA, and is also an adjunct professor in art therapy at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Dr Hinz has been helping people with eating disorders for more than 20 years.

Review :
I was thrilled to find this book which is a brilliantly comprehensive exploration of the use of art therapy in the treatment of eating disorders. The book is fantastic - it is well written, accurate and well backed up with current research findings and references. There are some wonderful ideas within the book and each is presented in such a practical way that you find they immediately bring to mind clients for whom they might be helpful. I have no doubt that this book will develop and improve my use of art techniques in my work and I am sure that those I work with will also benefit from my having read it. Psychologist and registered art therapist Lisa Hinz describes an art-based approach that mental health professionals can use with clients who have eating disorders. Following the introductory material, each of the seven main chapters focuses on a particular area of therapeutic work, such as reclaiming emotions or enhancing self-acceptance. Each of these chapters contains art experiences aimed at helping clients to express themselves. These are followed by response pieces, designed to counteract negativity and provide clients with practical actions they can take to promote recovery. Drawing from Within covers both theory and practise in a comprehensive and informative overview, solution- focused intervention, describing a step- by- step approach to an extremely promising technique for treating people with eating disorders. This manual is a positive resource which would be useful to practitioners in the fields of mental health, art therapy and counselling, as well as training for clinicians in the field of eating disorders. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in developments in person- centred therapy or in thinking about the use of art as a therapeutic tool; it is clearly structured and well- organised and clearly a valuable contribution to the field of psychological therapy and training. I believe that art psychotherapists working with eating disorders with a similar eclectic approach would find this an interesting read with lots of relevant information…the art experiences are well designed and could be used with other client groups in different contexts, such as professional work-shops and training. I have introduced and adapted different exercises into my initial assessments with children and young people. Many of the expected themes identified in the book were highlighted in the therapy, illustrating the value of Hinz's tools. I was also interested in the chapter addressing spirituality, as this is an area not often considered in psychotherapy. In my own art practice I engaged in some of the exercises in this chapter and found this to be a powerful experience, giving me a lot of material to process and reflect on. Drawing from Within: Using Art to Treat Eating Disorders is a fine reference for practitioner who wish to explore the therapeutic use of art with clients with eating disorders. Art therapy has been successfully used as intervention with this client group: chapters cover themes which can embrace programs, offering suggestions for creating and implementing exercises and translating results to therapy. It's the hands-on application of theory to results which makes Drawing from Within so essential for any working with clients with eating disorders - and for college-level libraries strong in psychology. This book provides a wealth of ideas for working with clients with eating disorders using art. An innovative approach describing how art therapists can design and implement effective treatment programmes for eating disorders. Of particular value where service users find it difficult to explain their thoughts and feelings verbally.