The old masters art collage: An art therapy technique for heuristic self-discovery

Abstract

The first part of the above statement suggests basic Freudian theory underlying traditional art therapy: what an individual creates from the deepest recesses of the unconscious can provide clues to unknown psychic material. The second part of ·the statement suggests the possibility of a different sort of art therapy: art created by the artist has power to elicit emotional reactions buried deep within another person who has no real connection with the artist. Coming into the world of therapeutic healing from a background of art history rather than the creative arts, I chose for my Master's Degree thesis in Counseling to do an �rt therapy research project, working with Old Masters art rather than client­ created art. This paper describes an