Beyond the face: Art therapy and self-portraiture

Self-portraiture can be a means of self-reflection and accepting the self. Art therapists can be informed of the benefits and drawbacks of recreating the self by examining the art of artists who experienced melancholy and depression. Vignettes of artists whose self-portraits were healing, as well as of artists who became stuck in feelings of despair, are described. Self-portraiture is an introspective tool that can be beneficial with many client populations. Examples from the literature in art therapy regarding the use of self-portraits in therapy augment the importance of this genre and describe some of the clinical applications of self-portraiture.