Self-Injurious Behaviors with Art Therapy Workshop
 
 
7 hours of CEC’s
One day, 9 am - 5 pm
Program Description:
This program is designed to educate art therapists and other mental health clinicians how to effectively work with clients who self-injure using art based techniques.  These behaviors, as well as the etiology and treatment options, are rarely discussed in graduate training programs even though manifestations of these behaviors are visible several populations including, but not limited to: the mentally retarded, thought disordered, and character disordered, as well as the “main stream”  adolescent and young adult populations.  Therapists may come in contact with individuals who self-injury in a variety of settings such as institutions, hospitals, residential and out-patient facilities, and their own private practice.  This workshop will educate art therapists and other treating clinicians about the symptoms, signs and interventions that may be utilized to identify and treat individuals who self harm.
Art therapy may be used as an effective treatment tool for individuals who meet the classification of “moderate” self-injure. Discussions of the theories of etiology concerning self-harm will illuminate why the art therapy process is a natural modality of treatment for these clients often viewed as alarming and sometimes difficult to treat by many clinicians.
This workshop will offer an examination as to how these behaviors are manifested in the art work and specific tasks and examples of art-based interventions will be provided.
Program & Participant Learning Objectives:
•	Participants will be able to identify three (3) classifications of self-injurious behaviors based on severity.
•	Attendees will be able to identify the signs and symptoms of co-morbidity the often seen with clients who self-injure, such as sexual abuse, substance abuse, dissociation, and other multi-impulsive disorders.
•	Attendees will be able to identify at least (4) therapeutic tools to utilize with clients who self-injure.
•	Participants will learn how art & the art psychotherapy process may be used to assist patients with urges to self-harm via modulating and containing painful affect. A dozen specific tasks and examples will be presented.
Workshop Outline:
9:00 Introduction, background & history
Definitions & Overview
Prevalence & other demographics
Culture & SIB
Classifications Overview:
	Major
	Stereotypical
	Superficial/ Moderate
Major Self-injury:
	Types:
	Associated psychopathology
		Major depression, mania, schizophrenia, transsexualism, & organic disorders
	Major themes
Stereotypic Self-injury
	Definition
	Types
	Associated psychopathology
Superficial/ Moderate Self-injury
	Definition
	Themes
	Biological explanations 
	Emotional states around self-injury
		before, during and after
	Co-morbidity
		Sexual abuse & dissociation
		Personality disorders
		Multi-impulsive disorders
			D&A
			AN, BN and other ED’s
			Promiscuity, shop lifting...

12:15 - 1:15 Lunch (on your own)

	Treatment of Superficial/Moderate self-injury
		Psychopharmacology
		Brief in-patient treatment
		Outpatient
			Safe Toolbox
			Contracts
			Homework
		Other treatment tools
		Art therapy
			Cognitive/ behavioral
			Insight oriented
			Specific tasks and examples
		What NOT to do for Self -Injury
3:00 Art Experiential(s)
4:30 Questions & Discussion
4:45 Conclusion & evaluations
5:00 End time

Treating Clients with Self-Injurious Behaviors with Art Therapy (7 hours of CEC’s)
Sat., September 29, 2007; 9 am-5 pm
Early registration: $ 150 if postmarked 1 month prior to workshop; regular registration $175.
Distance-Learning Course $175

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“The Screaming Self” -a print making image made by a woman in her early 20’s who self-injured and had an eating disorder.
Copyright © Michelle L. Dean