Response Art: Exploring three complementary applications of response art in practice, supervision, teaching and research in art therapy

Gary Nash; Abbe Mille; Barbara Fish

doi:10.1386/jaah_00220_1

Response Art: Exploring three complementary applications of response art in practice, supervision, teaching and research in art therapy

Gary Nash
, Abbe Mille
, Barbara Fish

School of Creative Arts

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

This article highlights new and different ways that response art has developed and is being applied in the practice of art therapy. Primarily focusing on the art made by therapists in response to their clinical work, this article presents a summative review of each author’s published research and practice findings on response art, whilst also looking at overlaps, divergent emphases and combined outcomes. The authors then offer three themes that build on this innovative approach: (1) valuing the artist-therapist identity, (2) how art can hold tension and uncertainty and (3) the restorative effects of making art for clinical processing.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	57-76
Number of pages	20
Journal	Journal of Applied Arts & Health
Volume	17
Issue number	1
Early online date	10 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah_00220_1
Publication status	Published - 31 Mar 2026
Event	50th Anniversary Art Therapy Conference - University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom Duration: 19 Jul 2024 → 20 Jul 2024 https://herts.configio.com/pd/2199/university-of-hertfordshire-art-therapy-50th-anniversary-conference-on-campus

Keywords

art-based research, one-canvas process painting, harm’s touch, art-based supervision, reflective practice, artistic inquiry, disclosure in supervision, restorative art making

Access to Document

10.1386/jaah_00220_1

Cite this

@article{4b1a9903e50e44bb81718541a5e633b5,

title = "Response Art: Exploring three complementary applications of response art in practice, supervision, teaching and research in art therapy",

abstract = "This article highlights new and different ways that response art has developed and is being applied in the practice of art therapy. Primarily focusing on the art made by therapists in response to their clinical work, this article presents a summative review of each author{\textquoteright}s published research and practice findings on response art, whilst also looking at overlaps, divergent emphases and combined outcomes. The authors then offer three themes that build on this innovative approach: (1) valuing the artist-therapist identity, (2) how art can hold tension and uncertainty and (3) the restorative effects of making art for clinical processing.",

keywords = "art-based research, one-canvas process painting, harm{\textquoteright}s touch, art-based supervision, reflective practice, artistic inquiry, disclosure in supervision, restorative art making",

author = "Gary Nash and Abbe Mille and Barbara Fish",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2026 Intellect Ltd. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah\_00220\_1; 50th Anniversary Art Therapy Conference ; Conference date: 19-07-2024 Through 20-07-2024",

year = "2026",

month = mar,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1386/jaah\_00220\_1",

language = "English",

volume = "17",

pages = "57--76",

journal = "Journal of Applied Arts \& Health",

issn = "2040-2457",

publisher = "Intellect",

number = "1",

url = "https://herts.configio.com/pd/2199/university-of-hertfordshire-art-therapy-50th-anniversary-conference-on-campus",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Response Art

T2 - 50th Anniversary Art Therapy Conference

AU - Nash, Gary

AU - Mille, Abbe

AU - Fish, Barbara

PY - 2026/3/31

Y1 - 2026/3/31

N2 - This article highlights new and different ways that response art has developed and is being applied in the practice of art therapy. Primarily focusing on the art made by therapists in response to their clinical work, this article presents a summative review of each author’s published research and practice findings on response art, whilst also looking at overlaps, divergent emphases and combined outcomes. The authors then offer three themes that build on this innovative approach: (1) valuing the artist-therapist identity, (2) how art can hold tension and uncertainty and (3) the restorative effects of making art for clinical processing.

AB - This article highlights new and different ways that response art has developed and is being applied in the practice of art therapy. Primarily focusing on the art made by therapists in response to their clinical work, this article presents a summative review of each author’s published research and practice findings on response art, whilst also looking at overlaps, divergent emphases and combined outcomes. The authors then offer three themes that build on this innovative approach: (1) valuing the artist-therapist identity, (2) how art can hold tension and uncertainty and (3) the restorative effects of making art for clinical processing.

KW - art-based research, one-canvas process painting, harm’s touch, art-based supervision, reflective practice, artistic inquiry, disclosure in supervision, restorative art making

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105025044148

U2 - 10.1386/jaah_00220_1

DO - 10.1386/jaah_00220_1

M3 - Article

SN - 2040-2457

VL - 17

SP - 57

EP - 76

JO - Journal of Applied Arts & Health

JF - Journal of Applied Arts & Health

IS - 1

Y2 - 19 July 2024 through 20 July 2024

ER -

Response Art: Exploring three complementary applications of response art in practice, supervision, teaching and research in art therapy

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Embargoed Document

Fingerprint

Cite this