Nancy Gerber and Theresa Van Lith

This presentation focuses on the status of our strategic planning process. We initially conducted a scoping review of current trends in art therapy research using art therapy conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles. There were three main aims in this process. The first was to systematically identify current research topics, methodologies and methods, knowledge gaps, and recommendations for implementation and future research. The second aim was to critically examine the level of credibility, validity, and trustworthiness of recent art therapy research perspectives, methods, and results. The third aim was the development of criteria by which to evaluate the research practices relative to the needs of the field, transferability, and potential impact.
As a consequence of our review, we were able to develop several recommendations for the next phase in the strategic plan. These include: (1) conceptualizing an art therapy worldview; (2) evaluating and developing innovative and radical art therapy research methods; (3) identifying relevant theoretical and clinical topics for further research; (4) determining therapeutic mechanisms or elements of change; (5) exploring research transferability and implementation; (6) defining relevant forms of evidence for the sustenance and advancement of the field; and, (7) exploring the curricular and pedagogical elements of research training for future generations.