Environmental Expressive Therapies

Environmental Expressive Therapies contributes to the emerging phenomenon of eco-arts therapy by highlighting the work that international expressive arts therapists have accomplished to establish a framework for incorporating nature as a partner in creative/expressive arts therapy practices. Each of the contributors explores a particular specialization and outlines the implementation of multi-professional and multi-modal "earth-based" creative/expressive interventions that practitioners can use in their daily work with patients with various clinical needs. Different forms of creative/expressive practices―such as creative writing, play therapy techniques, visual arts, expressive music, dramatic performances, and their combinations with wilderness and animal-assisted therapy―are included in order to maximize the spectrum of treatment options. Environmental Expressive Therapies represents a variety of practical approaches and tools for therapists to use to achieve multiple treatment goals and promote sustainable lifestyles for individuals, families, and communities.

Alexander Kopytin, PhD, is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, professor in the psychotherapy department at Northwest Medical I. Mechnokov University, head of postgraduate training in art therapy at the Academy of Postgraduate Pedagogical Training at St. Petersburg, and chair of the Russian Art Therapy Association. He introduced group interactive art psychotherapy in 1996 and has since initiated, supported, and supervised numerous art therapy projects dealing with different clinical and non-clinical populations in Russia. Dr. Kopytin has also written and edited several books on art therapy and art psychotherapy.

Madeline Rugh, PhD, ATR-BC, is an assistant professor in psychology and visual art at St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Dr. Rugh has facilitated numerous workshops, both internationally and in the United States, on art therapy with disabled older adults, art therapy and spirituality, and art therapy and eco-psychology.