What does tagging, bombing and writing have to do with art therapy? A whole lot, according to Abdallah Ezekiel Rothman LPC, ATR…especially if you work with adolescents.
In 2004, Ezekiel wrote his thesis on the topic of Graffiti Art Therapy while studying at Antioch University in Seattle. His thesis includes two parts- a written research portion and a 20 minute documentary, which can be seen in full at http://www.graffitiverite.com/graffitiartTherapy.htm. Ezekiel also has his own website where his research is posted, although only a clip of the documentary is available here. I find Ezekiel’s website an easier read than the graffitiverite site due to the way the website was formatted and designed.
If this all seems familiar, it may be because Ezekiel presented his video at the 2008 AATA conference in Cleveland. He also is an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Art Therapy program and will be teaching a class titled “Graffiti Art Therapy” this summer.