Art therapy, when combined with skills training in dialectical behaviour therapy and peer support, can teach young people new ways to regulate intense emotions and urges associated with suicidality, build healthy peer relationships, and increase a sense of purpose and personal empowerment. Practical advice will result in more confidence in using DBT-informed art therapy with a focus of integration into practices for youth suicide prevention to strengthen existing skills. Schorr exemplifies these practices through the The Arts in Recovery for Youth (AIRY) model – an art therapy model for reducing youth suicide, informed by research in suicidology and best practices in suicide prevention. Throughout the book, case-studies of DBT-informed art therapy illustrate positive intervention with young people. Social, psychological and emotional factors which may lead to suicide are discussed along with risk factors. Practical resources for practitioners are included in order to seamlessly integrate DBT-informed art therapy into their practices with measurable outcomes.

Contents:

• Foreword Introduction
• PART I. ART THERAPY & YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION
• 1.The Development of Arts in Recovery for Youth
• 2. Origins of Art Therapy with Suicidal Individuals
• 3. The Influence of Art Education
• 4. Art Therapy and Suicide Prevention: The Literature
• 5. Art Therapy and Adolescent Development
• 6. Art and Adolescent Learning Styles
• 7. Preparation, Process and Product in Art Therapy with Young People
• PART II: YOUTH SUICIDE
• 8. Best Practices in Suicide Prevention
• 9. Regan’s Story
• 10.The Lived Experience Model
• 11. Social Factors in Suicidality
• 12. The Role of Emotional & Psychological Pain in Suicidality
• PART III: DBT-INFORMED ART THERAPY
• 13. DBT-informed Art Therapy
• 14. A DBT-informed Art Therapy Case Study: The Story of Maya
• 15. Gregorys Story
• 16. Interpersonal Skills
• PART IV: OTHER RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDE: TRAUMA & ADDICTION
• 17. Art Therapy & Collective Trauma
• 18. Working with the Body: Bottom Up Processes
• 19. Addiction and Suicidality
• PART V: RESOURCES FOR HELPING PROFESSIONALS
• 20. Self Care for Professionals
• 21. Skills-based Expressive Art Therapy Directives
• 22. Measurable Outcomes
• CONCLUSION APPENDICES
• Appendix A Guidelines for Responsible Media Reporting About Suicide
• Appendix B Sample Safety Plan
• Appendix C Guidelines for Parents and Loved Ones for Assessing Risk
• Appendix D Challenging Your Own Bias & Myths about Suicide
• Appendix E Anti-Bullying Resources
• Appendix F Self care/ STS Assessments
• Appendix G Resources for Suicide Prevention

Author Bio:

Marney Schorr is an Art Therapist and Teaching Artist at NUarts Gallery & Studios and Founding Director of Arts in Recovery for Youth (AIRYTM) in Western Massachusetts. She has received various grant awards for her work in art therapy for suicide prevention as well as the Massachusetts Statehouse Award for Excellence in Leadership in Suicide Prevention.