Art Therapy in the Czech Republic

This paper clarifies the history and development of art therapy as a profession in the Czech Republic since 1913. The author describes how the profession began with an initial interest in an intuitive understanding of the therapeutic possibilities inherent in art making for people with physical disabilities and psychiatric illnesses. An account is presented of how art therapy has grown into a profession that is understood as a form of psychotherapy which takes into account the complexity of unconscious processes as well as the role of the art object in its form and in its possibilities of a shift in art-making. The paper includes a discussion of the significant professionals and institutions which have been integral to the development of art therapy as a profession in the Czech Republic.Key Words: Art therapy, Czech Republic, art therapy history, art therapy education and training