Three heads are better than one: The expressive arts group assessment

Abstract

The physicians from whom we receive referrals are often uncertain about which expressive arts modality to order for their patients or whether any expressive arts modality is appropriate. At West Oaks Hospital, when the information was requested, the Expressive Arts therapists made three individual assessments, one for music, one for art, and a third for movement therapy. The difficulty with this method is that it is neither time nor cost effective because it involves up to six chargeable sessions for the patient, and the therapists have difficulty in adequately comparing the information received in order to present a joint expressive arts therapy recommendation for the patient. The Expressive Arts Group Assessment was developed by the authors in 1984 to meet three needs: (a) for assessment in our respective modalities of art therapy, movement therapy, and music therapy; (b) for coordinated recommendations for expressive arts therapy treatment for some patients; and (c) for a more time and cost effective means of assessment. It was designed to take place in two sessions and to incorporate all three modalities. As the task of developing this was initiated, the authors did a literature search, seeking documentation of similar assessment methods. Nowhere in the literature did we find any group or individual multimodality method of this type. Thus, we set about the task of choosing those components that included abbreviated versions of our individual assessments. We chose those exercises that could provide the most valuable information in the shortest period of time.