Therapeutic Preferences of Arts Therapists in Educational Environments - A Cross-Sectional Study in the Czech Republic

A growing number of arts therapists around the world work in schools, but information on their practices is limited. The aim of this work is to examine the theoretical influences and therapeutic trends prevalent in Czech educational institutions. Data obtained from 142 respondents were collected using the “Practice of Arts Therapies” questionnaire. Based on a statistical analysis of the responses, the results show that therapists prefer predominantly humanistic trends with a wide range of other therapeutic influences based on assimilative integration tendencies. Contrary to the initial assumptions, it was found that there is little difference in the preferences for trends in different work environments. The results can be used for international comparisons of arts therapies in the educational environment, as they seem to be an important area of interdisciplinary practice associated with education.

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