Introduction to Art Therapy Research

Abstract

Art therapy educators strive to prepare their students for work, citizenship, and life. A strong art therapy research curriculum prepares students for the workforce as they become clinicians with an expanded worldview who are well-equipped as research sensitive practitioners. This chapter describes the importance of research and how it impacts the growth of the art therapy profession. The ways in which research is shaped by government agencies and other entities, such as the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the UK National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), are delineated. Involvement of the American Art Therapy Association in informing research efforts and education standards toward the establishment of art therapy as a regulated mental health profession in the US provides salient context for understanding the history, current status, and potential areas for growth in research. Methods on the qualitative through quantitative spectrum and implications for clinical practice are explored, including foundations of art therapy research and the types of inquiry that will be most valuable for moving the field forward. The continuum of paradigms and research designs and types of research are also outlined to set a context for the book’s contents.