Social Work Commons^™

The Use Of Art Therapy Within Residential Care, Denise Lyons

The ITB Journal

Denise Lyons is a Social Care Lecturer in the Department of Humanities, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown. Prior to becoming a lecturer, Denise worked with children in residential care, both as a social care worker, and later, as an art therapist. This paper describes the practice of providing art therapy as a support for one teenage boy, living within a residential group home. This paper begins with an introduction to the history of residential care, describing the role of art therapy as an intervention within a holistic approach to social care practice. This paper concludes with a case study, illustrating the …