Group Analytic Art Therapy

Gerry McNeilly is senior adult psychotherapist, group analyst and art psychotherapist. He currently works with the Psychotherapy Service, South Warwickshire Combined NHS Trust. He has been involved in training with Birmingham University and the Institute of Group Analysis in England, Russia and Greece. He is an art therapy educator and is developing group analytic art therapy training in Lisbon with the Portuguese Art Therapy Society.

• Part One. 1. How I Started: Brief Outline; Historical Review; S. H. Foulkes' Influence. 2. Early Formulations and Developments: Introduction to S. H. Foulkes' Theories; Movement through: Group Art Therapy - Group Art Psychotherapy - Thematic/Non Thematic Art Therapy - Directive and Non Directive Art Therapy - Group Analytic Art Therapy; Early Commentary on the Matrix and Resonance. 3. Early Theoretical and Practical Developments: The Therapeutic Community: Open Art Groups; Community Art Groups; Small Art Therapy Groups; Guiding Principles on Methodology. 4. The Group as a Whole: General Theories; Comparisons and Differences between Foulkes and Bion; Group Analytic Art Therapy Perspective; Group Illustration; Therapist's Technical Approach; Cross-Reference to Primarily Verbal Groups. 5. The Individual in the Group - Transference Constellations: Introduction; Therapist's Role - Transference Constellations: In Art Therapy, Group Illustration, The New Group, New Member Entering Existing Group. 6. Analytic Transitions: Introduction; Early Transitions; The Melting Pot in a Therapeutic Community; Technical Transitions; Individual Art Therapy and Psychotherapy; Art Groups to Analytic Art Groups. Part Two. The Portuguese Papers - New Developments. 7. Introduction; Literature Review; Developments Since 1990. 8. That Which Binds Together Can Also Pull Apart; The Deep End of Group Analytic Art Therapy; Three Dimensional Triangular Theory; Dualities, Polarities and Opposites. 9. Openings: Connections between Resonance, Intuition and Wisdom; Complexity, Subtlety and Simplicity. 10. Cross FertilizationThe Development of an Organic Matter Analogy; The Exploration of Theoretical Components of Structure, Content and Process; A New Theoretical Perspective of `The Individual in the Group as a Whole'. 11. The Matrix - Pattern - Fullness of Emptiness: A Uniting of Foulkes' `Matrix' with Cortesão's `Pattern' with McNeilly's `Fullness of Emptiness'. Final Note.

Gerry McNeilly's "Group Analytic Art Therapy" fills a gap in group art therapy literature on both sides of the Atlantic. The book reinforces the need for art therapy theoreticians and professionals to continue researching aspects of their profession and to write about their efforts. It encourages them to reflect on their practice and to share those reflections with the wider community of professionals working in therapeutic enterprises.... "Group Analytic Art Therapy" is an important contribution to the still relatively small body of group art therapy literature. Art therapists, group analysts, psychotherapists, and art educators will find the book useful for the insight it gives into the theory and practice of group art psychotherapy.