International Conference of Creative Arts Therapies in Tokyo


Theme: Collaboration between Creative Arts Therapies

(Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dance/Movement Therapy, Drama Therapy, Poetry Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Play Therapy)

Chairman: Norio Seki, M.P.S.
Chief Consultant: Stephanie Brooke, Ph.d., NCC  


  The field of creative arts therapies includes many modalities, such as art, music, dance/movement, drama, poetry, expressive arts and play. Each field has developed separately over the years, mainly in the United States and Europe, with its own unique history, theory, identity, and a high degree of professionalism.

  The main objective of this conference is to have professionals from different creative arts therapies fields present his/her approach through lectures, presentations, and workshops, so that we may discover similarities and differences to deepen our understanding and relationship with one another. By deepening our understanding of different modalities and collaborating between approaches, we will be able to further strengthen and expand the field of creative arts therapies as a whole.

  In the clinical setting, we are faced with clients who have a wide variety of needs. Clients benefit when they have the option to choose an approach that he/she feels comfortable with, as it facilitates self-expression and deepens the therapy process. On the other hand, having the option to try new approaches provides clients with the opportunity to discover a new aspect of himself/herself.

  By incorporating theories and methods of different modalities other than what we are familiar with, we are able to enrich and expand our own approaches as well.

  This opportunity to interact with creative arts therapists from all over the world will make possible for us to compare and learn many things, such as how our history and culture have influenced our perspectives and the development of the field, differences in social awareness for the field, and the current training made available for becoming a creative arts therapy professional in our respective countries.

  Some of the topics we hope to touch on during the conference are: reports on international efforts being made in providing support to those who are socially vulnerable due to war, poverty, discrimination, and prejudice; the relationship between creativity and the healing mechanism in arts; and also the relationship between spirituality and the healing power individuals hold within.

  I look forward to meeting and welcome all those who have an interest in using creative means as a tool for self-expression, self-healing, and self-discovery. Professionals involved in mental healthcare, those involved in the field of education, students, artists, and anyone from the general public, who are in search of ways for self-development are welcome. I hope that this will be an excellent opportunity for all those involved, to experience first-hand the highly developed and specialized field of creative arts therapies.

Sincerely,

Norio Seki, M.P.S.
Creative Arts Therapies Conference Chairman

 

Hosted by: Creative Arts Therapy Research Institute
Drama Therapy Research Institute
Expressive Arts Therapy Research Institute
CJCAT (Community of Japanese Creative Art Therapists)

Back