From Emeritus Professor of Art Psychotherapy, Goldsmiths

Abstract

Firstly, a very big welcome to everyone! It is about 30 years since we had a gathering of arts therapists like this one, in this very lecture theatre and of course during that time there have been huge developments in the discipline and in the profession as we can see from the representation of so many different countries signed up for what promises to be an extremely lively, exciting and indeed challenging week. I know from the many communications I get from colleagues abroad that art therapy is now well established in many countries, taught in universities and practised in a wide range of centres, including in hospitals, units for drug and alcohol treatment, with people suffering the effects of war, with older people who have experienced stroke and who are living with progressive illness such as dementia, to name a few.