Bruce Moon

Bruce L. Moon (born c. 1951) is an American art therapist, educator, artist, and author. He is also a singer/songwriter who has recorded several albums. He is an Honorary Life Member (HLM) of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), the most prestigious honor given by the AATA.

Education Bruce Moon attended high school in Sidney, Ohio. In June 1973, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in art education from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where he first learned about the field of art therapy. He then worked at Harding Hospital Moon also led a group for adolescent males who had committed a sexual offense. He ran a private practice in Worthington, Ohio from 1989 until 1996, providing individual art therapy services for children, adolescents, and adults. From 1986 until 1992, he was the Chief of Adjunctive Therapy of Harding Hospital's Child and Adolescent Division. He also worked as an arts specialist from 1973 to 1975 at the Worthington Community Counseling Service.

Works Moon has written a number of books and articles, and given over 200 presentations in the US, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He continues to do research, write music and perform, and make artwork.

In his book Art-Based Group Therapy and Practice, Moon (2010) describes the therapeutic qualities that are presented in art-based group therapy, and suggests that there are 12 essentials. Of these, some very important and striking benefits of art-based group therapy include: “Making art in the presence of others reduces isolation and creates a sense of community”, and “making art in a group setting promotes positive regard for the other members of the group” (p. 4).

In an article written by Moon titled The Tears Make Me Paint: The Role of Responsive Art-making in Adolescent Art Therapy (1999), Moon argues the importance of not only art-making in the adolescents, but response work made by the therapist is an exceptionally helpful tool as well. He listed three ways in which responses to adolescent artwork could be beneficial: (1) as a way to form empathic relationships with the clients; (2) as a release of emotions the therapist may be feeling or struggling with while working with the adolescent population that could possibly counter transfer within a session; and (3) as a catalyst for conversation with the adolescent client (Moon, 1999, p. 79). One of Moon's primary contributions to the profession is his writings related to responsive art making.

Artwork Bruce Moon believes art making is a spiritual and sacred act; art is soul, and creating art creates the soul. His faith lies in creative expression as the best form of communication between the internal and external worlds, and between the self and God. According to Moon, making art serves an existential purpose and can help people overcome feelings of emptiness and hopelessness. In art therapy sessions Moon focuses more on the processes involved and responding to the artwork, more than the product itself. He responds to artwork with conversation, bodily gestures, sound, spontaneous performance, and painting.

Presentations In the fall of 2012, Moon presented with his wife, Catherine Moon, as keynote speakers at the Canadian Art Therapy Association national conference. Their presentation was called Collaboration and Connection: A Call to Art and held a workshop as well, called Art Therapy Couture: Presenting Our Best Professional Selves. During the summer of 2012, he spent time in Hong Kong and Taiwan where he was the keynote speaker at conferences at Hong Kong University and the Taipei Municipal Educators College in Taiwan.

Books Artist, Therapist, Teacher: Selected Writings (2014) Art-Based Group Therapy and Practice (2010) Existential Art Therapy: The Canvas Mirror (3rd ed., 2008) Introduction to Art Therapy: Faith in the Product (2nd ed., 2008) The Role of Metaphor in Art Therapy: Theory, Method, and Experience (2007) Ethical Issues in Art Therapy (3rd ed., 2015) Art and Soul: Reflections on an Artistic Psychology (2nd ed., 2004) Word Pictures: The Poetry and Art of Art Therapists (co-editor, 2004) Essentials of Art Therapy Education and Practice (2nd ed., 2003) Working with Images: The Art of Art Therapists (2002) Moon, B. L, A.-B. (1999). The Tears Make Me Paint: The role of Responsive Artmaking in Adolescent Art Therapy. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 16:2, 78–82 The Dynamics of Art as Therapy with Adolescents (1998)