Art therapy in the Israeli education system – a qualitative meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Nine studies involving 131 interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2015 with female art therapists, supervisors, counsellors, teachers and school principals in the Arab and Jewish educational systems on the state of art therapy in the Israeli school system. This article presents a qualitative meta-analysis of these studies to provide an up-to-date comprehensive picture of the integration of art therapy in the Israeli education system. It also addresses zones of conflict between the therapeutic and educational approaches. The advantages and disadvantages of integrating art therapy into the education system are discussed in parts 1 and 2. Part 3 details the recommendations emerging from the interviews. Part 4 summarises the problems and conflicts. The discussion examines these findings in the light of the Guidelines for Teaching Staff From the Health Professions and Creative Arts Therapists Who Work in the Education System, published by the Israel Ministry of Education in 2015.

KEYWORDS:

• Art therapy
• education system
• qualitative meta-analysis

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the interviewees who agreed to give us their time and share their professional knowledge. We would like to extend special thanks to the countrywide art therapy supervisors including Tami Yermiyahu, Anat Marnin, Anat Mendelson, as well as the Chief Superintendent of the Department of Special Education, Pnina Al-Tar.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Sharon Snir is a senior lecturer and the Head of the M.A. Art Therapy Program at Tel Hai College, Israel.

Dafna Regev is a senior lecturer at the School of Creative Arts Therapies and a member of the Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Center at the University of Haifa, Israel.

Vered Keinan, M.A., has been a practicing art therapist since 2006, as well as a supervisor. She works with children and parents in therapy and with victims of sexual assault in both the public and private sectors. She is a graduate of the M.A. Program for Experienced Therapists at the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Hiba Abd El Kader-Shahada, M.A., is an art therapist and graduate of the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Abir Salamey, M.A., is an art therapist and graduate of the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Dalia Mekel, M.A., is an art therapist and graduate of the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Debi Melzak, M.A., is an art therapist and graduate of the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Hadeel Daoud, M.A., is an art therapist and graduate of the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Anat Green-Orlovich, M.A., is an art therapist and graduate of the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Irit Belity, M.A., has been a practicing art therapist since 2000, as well as a supervisor. She works with adolescents in special education, provides supervision for staff and therapists at the Ministry of Education, works as a supervisor at the University of Haifa and treats in her private clinic. She is a graduate of the M.A. Program for Experienced Therapists at the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Maisa Alkara, M.A., is an art therapist and graduate of the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa.

Notes

1 Data kindly provided by Pnina Al-Tar, Chief Superintendent of the Health and Arts Therapies Professions in the Special Education Department at the Ministry of Education of Israel (oral communication).