Coleman, Alyson, Jones, Phil, Cedar, Lynn, Haythorne, Deborah, Mercieca, Daniel and Ramsden, Emma (2020) Child Agency of Working in the Arts Therapies: New Ways of Working in the Arts Therapies. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9780367861629

Abstract

Child Agency and Voice in Therapy offers innovatory ways of thinking about, and working with, children in therapy.

The book:

*considers different practices such as respecting the rights of the child in therapy and recognising and listening to children as ‘active agents’ and ‘experts’;
*features approaches that: access children’s views of their therapy; engage with them as researchers or co-researchers; and that use play and arts-based methods;
*draws on arts therapies research in ways that enable insight and learning for all those engaged with children’s therapy and wellbeing;
*considers how the contexts of the therapy, such as a school or counselling centre, relate to the ways children experience themselves and their therapy in relation to rights, agency and voice.
Child Agency and Voice in Therapy will be beneficial for all child therapists and is a good resource for courses concerning childhood welfare, therapy, education, wellbeing and mental health.