Coordinating principles of art therapy and DBT

• We coordinate principles of art therapy and DBT to offer a therapeutic approach that can expand patient benefits.
• Using art therapy and DBT may aid delivery of therapy, reinforce skill retention and support treatment team synergy.
• A case study with artwork illustrates use of art therapy and DBT with a young university student.
• Coordination of DBT with other treatment modalities may yield similar benefits found when used with art therapy.

Coordinating treatment modalities may offer patients more than what any one treatment may offer alone. Art therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are effective treatments for a wide range of clinical disorders and are often applied in conjunction with other forms of therapy. Common clinical symptoms, such as emotional dysregulation, may be particularly amenable to a combined art therapy and DBT approach. Informed by the theoretical foundations of interdisciplinary care including both art therapy and DBT, this paper offers an approach and examples of strategic use of art therapy and DBT together as part of an interdisciplinary treatment plan. Advantages of using treatments simultaneously may include reinforcement of learning skills, contribution to interdisciplinary team synergy, and enactment of bilateral integration. A common factor approach is used to coordinate theoretical principles of art therapy and DBT and a case study illustrates coordination of the two therapeutic approaches. Implications for populations at varying levels of care are discussed.