1st Edition
A Meaning-Based Approach to Art Therapy From the Holocaust to Contemporary Practices
A Meaning-Based Approach to Art Therapy contextualizes the phenomena of Holocaust artwork for the field of art therapy and uses this canon of artwork to support the inclusion of logotherapy into art therapy theory and practice.
The author expounds on a study in which she interviewed surviving Holocaust artists about how they were able to create their artworks while in Nazi captivity. Divided into three parts, the book follows the chronological order of her inquiry. It first presents theory, then research, and ends with implications for the practice of art therapy. The research chapters set out the process and results of the author's phenomenological inquiry. They address how art making during the Holocaust allowed captive artists to bear witness, leave a legacy and retain their humanity. In the final part, the author reveals how art therapists can use concepts from her study to support the progress of their clients. She advocates for the application of logotherapy, an existential philosophy that emphasizes finding meaning to facilitate healing and personal growth.
Practicing art therapists and students of art therapy will find this book to be an excellent resource on logotherapy, an updated perspective on existentialism, and a contemporary examination of phenomenology.
Biography
Elizabeth Hadara Hlavek, DAT, ATR-BC, LCPAT is an art therapist in private practice in Annapolis, Maryland. She is committed to art therapy advocacy and worked with state legislators to develop the first clinical art therapy license in the state of Maryland. She has served on the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists and on the board of directors of the American Art Therapy Association.
"This book traces the beginnings of logotherapy and explores its intersection with art therapy. Dr. Hlavek’s work reminds us that amid the unimaginable circumstances of the Holocaust, the arts emerged as a humanizing force. In the face of horrific suffering artists asserted their ability to respond with courageous creatively. As such, it is a testament to the healing power of art, then and now."
Bruce Moon, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM
"This innovative book brilliantly explores the connection between art and the Holocaust. Interviewing surviving artists, Dr Hlavek explores the creative experience to understand how victims found meaning in suffering, and makes an invaluable contribution to Holocaust education, art and art therapy."
Hana Bor, PhD
"In this extraordinary book, Dr. Hlavek brings us with her on a deeply impactful yet ultimately hopeful journey into the meaning of artwork created by Holocaust victims. With crystal-clear writing, Dr. Hlavek presents her extensive scholarship and research into the use of artmaking in the face of death and horror. She shares how those who made art during captivity in the Holocaust documented both atrocities and kindnesses, upheld a sense of personhood, found purpose and meaning, and ultimately preserved hope for themselves and us all. Dr. Hlavek’s perspective spans beyond individual trauma to provide an existential affirmation of existence and what truly defines us as human."
Gioia Chilton, PhD, ATR-BC, LCPAT, CSAC
