Abstract

This dynamic approach to therapy combines yoga and art to heal the whole person - body, mind and spirit - through the use of intention.

In this practical guide art therapists will learn how to incorporate yoga poses, mudras and meditation, and yoga therapists to introduce art directives, into individual and group clinical work for a more holistic healing process. Readers will discover the parallels that exist between the two modalities, and how to use a specific intention as a framework for structuring sessions, with the aim of reaching a deeper level of healing in their clinical work. Guidelines for staying within each modality's scope of practice and working ethically are included, as well as an extensive Practice Chart, which shows how to match treatment concerns with an intention, mudra meditation, yoga poses and art activity.

Ideal for art therapists looking to expand and enhance their practice, this book will also appeal to yoga therapists and teachers with an interest in art-based techniques. Although primarily meant for therapists, it is also accessible for individuals looking for self-improvement.

Gibbons has brought together two embodied approaches to treatment- yoga and art therapy- and opened up a conversation about just how these two powerful modalities can engage the healing process. With the growing interest and research on mind-body approaches to health and well-being, this book will be of interest to a wide range of professionals including art therapists, dance and movement therapists, counselors, psychologists, nurses, yoga instructors and integrative healthcare practitioners.
Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT, Executive Director, Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Louisville, Kentucky
If you enjoy yoga and art, you will appreciate Karen Gibbon's integration of yoga therapy and art therapy into an easy-to-follow protocol that combines art directives and yoga practices to address the psycho-spiritual needs of your clients and students. Integrating Art Therapy and Yoga Therapy makes a unique and useful contribution to the field of art therapy and yoga therapy. If you're an art therapist, it belongs on your shelf. You will reference it often.
Amy Weintraub, MFA, ERYT-500, author of Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists, Founder of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute
A work of art! Gibbons provides an in-depth perspective to combining Art Therapy and Yoga Therapy with a pure, grounded understanding that only practice and wisdom can create. Her sensitive and highly developed approach guides us in a gentle and clear manner that is inspiring. Namaste!
Eileen P McGann, ATR-BC, LCAT Graduate Faculty, School of Visual Arts and New York University Graduate Director of the Arts and Creative Therapies, MercyFirst, Syosset NY
At the heart of Karen Gibbon's book is the Intention Centered Yoga and Art Therapy technique (ICYAT), which entwines intention into the seat of yoga, mudras, and artwork. Delineating the ethical, educational and professional practices for yoga therapy and art therapy, Gibbons combines these interrelated modalities into a mutually beneficial prescription to promote wellbeing and restructurehabitual patterns towards health.
Dr. Ellen G. Horovitz, ATR-BC, LCAT, E-RYT, LFYP, author of Yoga Therapy: Theory and Practice
Karen Gibbons currently works in private practice incorporating yoga therapy and art therapy and as an art therapy consultant for the Art Therapy Outreach Center. She is a professional yoga therapist and has a master's degree in art therapy. She combines yoga and art therapy in her workshops, classes, supervision groups and individual counselling, and also teaches graduate level classes and workshops for expressive arts therapists. Karen lives and regularly shows her artwork in New York City.
Karen Gibbons skilfully navigates the complex blending of art therapy and yoga with professionalism, ethical clarity and reflective deliberation. For all art therapists wishing to complement their art therapy practice, this book is a practical and invaluable guide to aid in enhancing the mind body connection found in both yoga and the creative art process.
Lisa R. Furman, MA, ATR-BC, LCAT, LPC, Adjunct Faculty Member, Graduate Art Therapy Program, School of Visual Arts, New York City, Associate Professor, Albertus Magnus College, New Haven and author