Abstract
After almost 20 years of effort, the Art Therapy Demonstration Center was established under the
Rajanukul Institute, a 48-year-old mental health hospital and academy of the Department of Mental Health,
Ministry of Public Health. The date was April 3, 2008 and the occasion was presided over by General
Wanchai Ruengtrakul, President of the Rajanukul Foundation, and Dr. Wachira Pengchan, Deputy Director
General of the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health. The co-chairpersons announced
the official opening of the “Art Therapy Demonstration Center.” The opening event was followed
by the Art Therapy Specialist Seminar on “Art Therapy Roadmap in Thailand”, which was attended
by 120 mental health personnel, some art therapists, professional artists and art educators, among
others.
The seminar comprised two sessions: “Art Therapy in Thailand” and “Art Therapy in the West.” The
first speaker, Dr. Udom Petchsangharn, the former director of the Institute, spoke of the value and status of art therapy in Thailand based on the concept of “adjunct therapy” or “essential adjunct therapy,” and
the role of “art” in human sociology, and its power in the treatment of the mind. The second speaker, Prof.
Punya Vijinthanasarn, an outstanding artist and Dean of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic
Arts of Silpakorn University, spoke on the historical development of fine art in association with innersubconscious
expression by using extensive examples of Western art works. Prof. Saman Supprasri, Dean
of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Burapha University, gave notes on the role of art education and
aesthetical values in relation to the therapeutic approach. Dr. Lertsiri Bovornkitti concluded the session
by addressing the role of art therapy and its value, and the characteristics and knowledge that art therapists
should formulate, i.e., the two types of art therapy in the West: “Art as Psychotherapy” and “Art as
Therapy,” and then summarized a roadmap for art therapy in Thailand.
He acted as moderator for two invited speakers, Mr. Jordan Potash from the United States and Ms.
Debra Kalmanowitzs from England, who spoke on “Art Therapy in the West.” An example of historical
practices associated with traditional and indigenous art therapy was Navajo sand-painting. They also
provided background knowledge of art therapy in the West based on the two concepts, art as therapy and
art psychotherapy, explicating the three knowledge roots of art therapy, i.e., art, psychology and therapy;
and theoretical notions on “witness/witnessing.” The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer
session related to the practice of art therapy. The presentations of the two international art therapists
provided support for the future development of art therapy in Thailand.
For further improvement of the knowledge of Thai art therapy, the authors suggest that a series of
art therapy workshops be organized by qualified international art therapists and educators for the Thai
art therapy practitioners and those who are interested in this newly developing field.
