Art Therapy with Military Populations

Paula Howie, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, LCPAT, HLM, directed the Art Therapy Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 1979 to 2002. She teaches at the graduate art therapy programs of the School of the Visual Arts in New York and Florida State University. Howie was president of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA) from 2005-2007 and remains an active member. She has a private practice in Washington, DC, where she focuses on the treatment of trauma, military members, and families.

"Paula Howie and her collaborators have created an absolutely wonderful book. It is truly a first, filling a major gap in the art therapy literature. It is so thoughtfully conceived and well written that it is also a fascinating read. Scholarly, yet engaging, this book is a major contribution to all those concerned with the mental health of the servicemen and women who risk their lives to protect us and whose scars deserve our utmost healing efforts."Judith A. Rubin, PhD, ATR-BC, President, Expressive Media; Professor, University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Center; author, Child Art Therapy, Artful Therapy, Art Therapy Has Many faces, Introduction to Art Therapy"Howie and renowned authors come together in this remarkable book to illuminate the efficacy of art therapy in improving the lives of veterans and their families. No other volume presents as compelling a case for the necessity of art therapy for soldiers. It encourages the highest standards of professional competence and includes essential information for administrators related to expansion of access to art therapy services. Through the lens of history and grounded in theory, it is an original contribution to the literature in addressing the unique needs of veterans."Donna Betts, PhD, ATR-BC, President, the American Art Therapy Association; Associate Professor and Research Director, George Washington University Art Therapy; award-winning author and researcher"In this groundbreaking book focusing on art therapy with military populations, Paula Howie and selected authors address historical and contemporary treatment of service-related trauma. Various art therapy approaches—including art-based directives, open studio practices, and gallery exhibitions—are discussed. Ultimately, it is the fundamental nature of art therapy, core to which are individuals engaged in creative processes in protected environments and witnessed by art therapists, that is at the heart of this worthy addition to art therapy literature."Linney Wix, PhD, ATR-BC, Professor Emerita, Art Education, University of New Mexico; author, Through a Narrow Window: Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and Her Terezín Students"Ms. Howie and colleagues offer an informative and moving book that reveals and deeply respects art therapy; the men, women and families who participated in these interventions; and the dedicated personnel who provided their care. The historical dimension of the development of art therapy, alongside the narratives about the conflicts in which the military personnel served, add substance to the case presentations. Having worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center during that time, the manuscript is a strong reminder of the healing power of creativity."Nancy B. Black, MD, Colonel (retired), US Army; American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, certified in Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychiatric Association

• List of Figures Foreword Katherine Williams Preface Paula Howie Acknowledgments About the Contributors Introduction Paula Howie 1. Theoretical Background: Understanding and Treating Soldiers and their Families-Formative Experiences 1. Art Therapy with Military and Veteran Populations: A Historical Context Martha Haeseler and Paula Howie 2. Psychosis, Attachment, and Trauma Paula Howie 3. Inpatient Treatment Charlotte Boston and Jeanne Creekmore 4. Family Art Therapy Treatment at Walter Reed Paula Howie 5. Group Art Therapy: The Evolution of Treatment and the Power of Witness Paula Howie 6. Managing Suicide in the Military Paula Howie 2. Current Trends in Art Therapy Treatment in Military Settings and the Expansion of Treatment Settings 7. Treating the Wounded Warrior: Cognitive and Neural Aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Paul Newhouse and Kimberly Albert 8. Complicated Grief: Considerations for Treatment of Military Populations Jacqueline P. Jones 9. Integrative Approaches to Treating PTSD and TBI: Art Therapy Approaches within the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Melissa S. Walker 10. The Giant Steps Program: Creating Fellowship and Meaning Martha Haeseler 11. Art Therapy with Substance Abuse and Co-occurring Disorders in Military Populations Eileen A. McKee 12. Using the Instinctual Trauma Response Model in a Military Setting Linda Gantt and Mary Ellen Vesprini 13. The Sketch Project: Volunteers Giving Veterans a New Perspective Doris Arrington and Nancy Parfitt Hondros 14. Group Therapy and PTSD: Acceptance and Commitment Art Therapy Groups with Vietnam Veterans with PTSD Amy Backos and Corrie Mazzeo 15. Art Therapy and the Treatment of Military Sexual Trauma Jeff Stadler 16. How the Studio and Gallery Experience Benefits Military Members and their Families Jennifer DeLucia Chapter 17. Conclusion Paula Howie