Foundations of Art Therapy Supervision

Supervision is the cornerstone of clinical training. Yasmine J Awais and Daniele Blausey draw on their 35 year relationship that began as supervisor and supervisee to offer an extraordinary book that showcases the dynamic, complex, and contextual nature of art therapy supervision for both the supervisor and supervisee. Foundations of Art Therapy Supervision is a strong synthesis of theory, ethical, legal, and practice guidelines and clinical material for art therapy supervisors and supervisees. The heart of this volume, however, is the importance of mutual learning that is ongoing and requires cultural humility to explore how the supervisor and supervisee's intersecting personal and professional identities are ever present in the supervision room, influencing dynamics related to power and privilege, topics that are discussable (or not), and ultimately the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client. Tamara R. Buckley, associate professor, counselor Education, School of Education, Hunter College , City University of New York. Co-author, The Color Bind: Talking (and Not Talking) About Race at Work Yasmine J. Awais and Daniel Blausey have written an art therapy supervision text, much needed in art therapy. The book offers guidance to supervisees and supervisors to contextualize supervision as a conscious and thoughtful experience, one that is imbedded in a cultural context exploring theories of social and cultural differences. Focusing on mentorship, leadership, cultural humility and mutual learning, the book offers various anecdotal examples of how supervision is a complex process when issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and disability intersect. Of particular importance, they stress, is a critical understanding of ethical and legal responsibility of art therapists when involved in dual relationships, confidentially, and art work created in the art therapeutic context. Theirs is a timely book. Savneet Talwar, professor, Masters of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Author, Art Therapy for Social Justice: Radical Intersections Clearly built upon their mutually supportive supervisory alliance Yasmine Awais and Daniel Blausey provide for us--through valuable historical and theoretical perspectives, and thought-provoking personal reflections and narratives-- insights into the identity-enhancing, complex interrelationship between the supervisor and supervisee; and they do so with deftness and respect. Thank you to the authors for this unique and enriching collaborative venture that belongs in every professional's library. Dave Gussak, Professor and Graduate Art Therapy Program and Project Coordinator, Florida State University/Florida Department of Corrections Art Therapy in Prisons Program, Florida State University. Editor, The Wiley Handbook of Art Therapy