Diploma In Therapeutic Art2019-08-10T16:05:05+01:00

Diploma In Therapeutic Art

Course Content

The course consists of 4 three day weekends with John Daly.

The programme is intended for students and practitioners who have completed or are in the process of completing a Diploma level course in Counselling, Psychotherapy, Play Therapy or hold an equivalent qualification. The following are the themes likely to be covered over the Diploma weekends. The techniques learnt can be used with children, adolescents and adults.  There will be some therapeutic self process and group work on this course.

Art as an Assessment Tool Working With Children, Adolescents and Adults

  • Symbolic expression and communication in children.
  • Drawings as an expression of the unconscious.
  • The development of human figure drawings.
  • Age, gender and cultural differences in drawings.
  • The diagnostic use of children’s drawings.
  • Drawings as indicators of therapeutic change.
  • Symbolic representations in context. The evaluation of symbolic groupings.
  • Interpreting projective drawings. Structural analysis of house, tree, person and animal drawings.

Introduction to Jungian theory of archetypes and complexes:

Mythology, symbolism, archetypes and complexes in drawing.

The twelve elements archetypes, their symbolic representations, psychological qualities and shadows.

Life cycle drawing and the work of Gareth Hill; Archetypes of the masculine and feminine in our life cycle. Drawings of the inner masculine and feminine. Life’s journey: from the archetypes of the child to the archetypes of the wise man and woman (the wizard and the witch).

The archetypes of the Anima and Animus in drawing. The Hero/Heroine in children’s drawings and mythology. The development of the Hero/Heroine archetypes and their relationship to the Anima and Animus.

The archetype of the Earth Mother. Archetypes of the King/Queen, Knight/Warrier and the Lover in drawings.
The archetype of the shadow in drawing and mythology. Facing the shadow.

Post Jungian Psychology

An introduction to a generalised ‘map’ of the psyche and the multidimensional nature of symbols.
Concepts of the self – from Freud to the Transpersonal. The Mandala of the Self; our idealised self, the persona, shadow and ‘True Self’.

Creative Imagination

The importance of creative imagination (visualisation) and mindfulness practices in connecting the conscious and unconscious aspects of the psyche.
Creative visualisation practices and drawings.
Serial group creative visualisation and drawing sessions with adolescents.

Rites of passage and change through Art

Stages of transition, rites of passage and initiation rituals with particular reference to the transitions of puberty and mid life.
Review of the primary archetypes of adolescence Eros(life)/Thanatos(death), Hero/Heroine, Puer (youth) /Senex (wise woman/man) and the archetype of initiation.

The Weekends

The weekends consist of a series of experiential drawings and exercises, teachings and case studies that explore the theoretical and practical issues of working with drawing. Discussion will be held that link the theoretical and practical aspects of the topic.

There will be several opportunities for participants to discuss and review their own drawings, if they wish to do so, and relate their experiences to current life issues and early life experiences.