ادغام هنر درمانی در توانبخشی فیزیکی در یک بیمارستان عربستان

This paper describes the introduction of art therapy into Saudi Arabia. A brief history of art therapy in Saudi Arabia is outlined, focusing on the current approaches of art therapy practice in medical rehabilitation. King Fahad Medical City is highlighted as a pioneering healthcare institute that accepted art therapy as a medical profession by incorporating it into its rehabilitation procedures for its inpatient population. The paper discusses the factors that helped art therapy to integrate into the program at King Fahad Medical City, as well as four case summaries illustrating the author's experiences integrating art therapy into rehabilitation.

Working in a rehabilitation hospital presents new challenges for the art therapist. Though art therapy was recognized as an allied health profession over 16 years ago (Malchiodi, 1993), art therapy curricula around the world still offer little in the way of courses for the medical field. The focus of accredited art therapy institutes is on art as psychotherapy, leaving graduates who pursue work in the medical field to largely teach themselves. To prepare art therapists for working in physical rehabilitation institutions will require additional training in the pathophysiology of illnesses, infection control, and assistive technologies, among other topics. This paper is about art therapy for patients who suffer medical illnesses and how art can help in the recovery of both their psychological and physical dysfunctions. The background of establishing the first art therapy service in a physical rehabilitation hospital in Saudi Arabia is presented. Problems in initiating the service and resolutions are presented, along with suggestions to help in the establishment of art therapy programs in similar settings. This paper also addresses the fundamentals of the role of art therapy in the rehabilitation setting and some basic administrative tools to help orient the art therapist in the day-to-day operations of a physical rehabilitation hospital. Finally, it presents selected case reports of art therapy patients at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) suffering from spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury physical disability following brain tumor surgery, and multiple sclerosis. Art therapy in physical rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia is a broad and varied discipline, and this paper can only present an introduction to the field. However, it is hoped that this presentation will stimulate interest for further research into the field's many important issues.

Pioneering a new field in a new culture is challenging and requires a great deal of time and effort, but a good educational foundation and support from our colleagues from around the world have been invaluable. KFMC's support of art therapy in Saudi Arabia has opened the door to experimenting with and implementing different art therapy approaches. My colleagues and I have laid the groundwork not only for our own careers in art therapy, but also for the Saudi art therapists who will follow in our footsteps. New art therapists may come to find an established field, but they will need to follow the guidelines outlined here in order to succeed and prosper. My colleagues and I in Saudi Arabia are proud to have charted new territory for art therapy, and hope that the progress continues.