The Tears Make Me Paint: The Role of Responsive Artmaking in Adolescent Art Therapy

The intent of this article is to provide art therapists with a theoretical, historical, professional, and personal examination of the art as therapy approach and art psychotherapy (Moon, 1998). The author explores the role of responsive artmaking for art therapists who are working with emotionally disturbed adolescents. Responsive artmaking, a process that involves the art therapist in creating artworks in reaction to the images of clients, is helpful in establishing empathic relationships with adolescents, in providing art therapists with an expressive outlet for the potent feelings that arise in the clinical context, and in forming the foundation for imaginative, interpretive dialogue with adolescent clients. The article integrates art therapy theory and clinical vignettes with historical context.