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Spotlight on Judy Weiser

Judy Wieser R.Psyc, ATR is a pioneer of PhotoTherapy, an art therapy technique that unfortunately too many art therapists don’t know about or understand (and she’s a fellow Canadian!). Ginger Poole from the Digital Art Therapy Group on LinkedIn conducted a brief written interview with Judy about PhotoTherapy. Judy discusses her techniques along with why it’s important for art therapists to understand and think about the impact of digital media on our lives. She points out that many art therapists over 30 are unaware of how prolific digital media and pictures are, as well as how easily they’re manipulated– blurring the boundaries of fantasy/wish and reality. Furthermore, she touches upon the idea of accessibility of one’s pictures, artwork, privacy and copyright issues.

Part of Judy’s message, is my opinion as well— Art Therapists! Don’t get left behind! It’s getting to the point that knowing about new technology/digital media and how to integrate it into one’s art therapy practice is not an option. It’s a must. As we become more technologically dependent and integrated, not having these skills will set you apart from your younger clients, causing a schism between your understanding of your world versus theirs.

How is it that many art therapy graduate programs are uncomfortable with exploring the use of digital media and it’s applications in terms of artx interventions? We are not doing ourselves any favors sticking to the study of structured versus unstructured media and not including digital media in the spectrum. I agree that for many organizations getting funding for new technology is difficult, but that doesn’t change the fact that on our younger client’s spare time they interact with digital and social media almost as much as they interact with the physical world (this is my observation, not taken from a statistical study). For better or for worse this is their reality. Thinking about it’s impact and discussing your observations on open forums, like the Digital Art Therapy Group is one way to keep in touch with the realities of living in a digital age.

You’re on LinkedIn but are not a member of the Digital Art Therapy Group on LinkedIn? Go here to join.

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Photography

A few months ago I watched the Oscar winning movie called Born Into Brothels and I’ve been meaning to write about it ever since. Its a documentary on a photographer from NYC, Zana Briski, who goes to Calcutta to photograph the red light district, when she discovers that the children of the prostitutes are interested in learning how to photograph pictures. She sets up a photography workshop for a number of these children, gives them cameras, and in turn these children photograph their everyday lives.

I wont get into much more detail so that I don’t spoil the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it…but the line between being a photographer/teacher begins to blur for the NYC photographer, and the film began bringing up similar feelings for me as working within a therapeutic/social-work context. That is to say, the photographer seemed to learn from her experience that although we may want to save others from a life that we may view as tragic or that we would not want for ourselves, we must recognize this wish and our limitations where we can do no more than offer support and opportunity (to learn, to explore, to grow). I also have to give Zana credit for going above and beyond what many would have done or thought they were capable of doing for these children. At the very least, the children discovered a part of themselves that allowed them to be creative, explore themselves and their environment, as well as become empowered through the use of creative expression.