Abstract

This paper explores how the practice of working with clients in their homes influences the conditions of therapy, and how this pertains to art therapy in particular. A questionnaire survey was designed based on pertinent literature as well as the researcher's own experience with home visits, and distributed to art therapists who have counseled clients in-home. Questions focused on: the art therapists' backgrounds, the populations they have worked with in-home, the logistics of providing such a service, how in-home therapy compares to their clinical experience, issues specific to working in the home environment, and the merits and drawbacks of this approach to therapeutic practice. Responses were analyzed, summarized, and interpreted according to themes. The results of the survey indicate that the art therapist participants find working in the home environment compares positively with their experiences of therapy in more conventional settings, and enhances the therapeutic relationship. A discussion of specific findings is integrated with relevant theory. Suggestions are made regarding possibilities for the continued practice of in-home art therapy.