Art therapist’s perceptions of the role of the art medium in the treatment of bereaved clients in art therapy

The exploratory study’s aim was to examine how art therapists perceive the role of the art medium in the treatment of bereaved clients. Eight Israeli art therapists reflected on this topic through drawings and interviews. Qualitative analysis identified three major roles, specifically art as: (1) a space for the client’s grief work; (2) a communication channel that impacts the art therapist’s experience and therapeutic relationship; and (3) a shared space where client and therapist create a new narrative. The discussion deals with the findings and their clinical implications, identifying the central therapeutic processes involved in art therapy with bereaved clients.