Dr Chris Wood

Honorary Research Fellow in the School of English , Art Therapy Northern Programme, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Leeds Beckett University

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Contact

Netherthorpe House
101 Netherthorpe Road
Sheffield
S3 7EZ

Overview

I am an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of English at the University of Sheffield, with the aim of helping Arts Therapists (Art Music and Drama Therapists) pursue higher research. I am involved in a small amount of supervisory work with Professor Brendan Stone, Professor Tom Bilington, Dr Anthony Williams and Dr David Forest in supporting Arts Therapies PhD candidates.

My work with the Art Therapy Northern Programme is as one of the senior lecturers who help train people from a wide range of backgrounds to become art therapists and register with the HCPC. I also work with service users of the mental health services in Sheffield.

‘From the Couch to the Council Estate: Art Therapy as Meeting Place’ is the title of a keynote conference paper I gave at Goldsmiths in April 2015 and it gives an indication of my approach. During the summer and autumn of 2019 I am to present the following papers: ‘What does the Hearing Voices Movement mean and how do we respond?’ and ‘Finding sanctuary, welfare, and social networks: stories from art therapy suggest refugees and people who hear voices, have parallel lives’.

People with mental health problems often find ways to live well and one of the most positive developments in this field is the strength of the service user and voices movement. Collaborative approaches to mental health seem to me to offer a way forward. As a trustee of Art Refuge UK I support the uses of art therapy in different international locations to particularly in relation to young people and children facing the difficulties of migration.

I continue to give lectures and facilitate workshops in a number of different countries. I believe strongly in the power and learning that can be gained through international co-operation.

Research 

In order to investigate and develop, it seems to me that the art therapy the profession needs both systematic research of the kind undertaken by the School of Health and Related Research in Sheffield together with a broader based arts and humanities approach. Some of my publications are listed below and they indicate that I have contributed to research in both areas.

Publications

Books

Wood, C. (2011) Navigating Art Therapy: A Therapist’s Companion. London: Routledge.

National guidelines

Wright, T., Holttum, S., Allan, J., Parkinson, S., Whittaker, R., & Wood, C. (2019). Guidelines on art therapy for people with psychosis-related diagnoses. London: British Association of Art Therapists

Papers
  • Wood, C. (2016) ‘Back from the Margins: Strange Experiences and Art Therapy.’ Art Therapy Online (ATOL), an e-journal hosted by Goldsmiths College, University of London: 7(1):1-28.
  • Wood, C. with Uttley, L. (the lead author) et al. (2015) HTA - 12/27/16: ‘Systematic review and economic modelling of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of art therapy among people with non-psychotic mental health disorders.’
  • Wood, C. (2013) ‘In the Wake of Matisse: what about art therapy and psychosis?’ International Journal Of Art Therapy Vol. 18 , Issue 3, 2013:88-97.
  • Wood, C. (2014) ‘Private and public spaces of hope in architecture and therapy’, revised edition published by ATOL Art Therapy Online 2014:5(2):1-39. (Earlier version published by Academic Journal of Art and Design: Tunghai University: 2012 no. 2).
  • Wood, C. (2010) ‘Convivencia: a medieval idea with contemporary relevance’. Art Therapy Online (ATOL), an e-journal hosted by Goldsmiths College, University of London: 1(1)1-33. (Earlier version published by the Champernowne Trust, 2006).
  • Wood, C. (2000) ‘The Significance of Studios’. Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists Vol. 5(2), 41-53.
  • Wood, C. (1999) ‘Gathering Evidence: Expansion of Art Therapy Research Strategy’ Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists Vol. 4(2), 51-61.
  • Wood, C. (1997) ‘Facing Fear with People who have a History of Psychosis’. Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists Vol. 2 (2), 41-48.
  • Wood, C. (1991) ‘A Personal View of Laing and his Influence on Art Therapy’. Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapist. Winter, pp 15-19.
  • Wood, C. (1986) ‘Milk White Panic: What do we do to people when we ask them to paint and draw?’ Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists. Winter, 2-8.
Book chapters
  • Wood, C. (2016) ‘Brief Art Therapy: sketches, snapshots and long drawings’, in Rose Hughes (ed.) Time Limited Art Psychotherapy. London: Routledge: 27-43.
  • Wood, C. (2013) ‘Dust not spilled’: Published proceedings of Champernowne Summer School 2012: 1-22.
  • Wood, C. (2012) ‘Art Therapy Approaches to work with people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia’, in Arts Therapies for different client/client patient groups. Erasmus European Union Lifelong Learning Programme: Riga University, 50-66.
  • Wood, C. (2011) ‘The Evolution of Art Therapy in Relation to Psychosis and Poverty’, in A. Gilroy (ed.) Evidence in Art Therapy. London: Langer: 211-229.
  • Wood, C. (2010) Introduction to the collection of papers by Michael Peter Edwards, Ornithology for the Birds: A Jungian Circumambulation of Art and Therapy. Exeter: Insider Art (Publishing) Ltd: 9-16.
  • Wood, C. (2007) ‘Agency and Attention: Purposes of Supervision’. In J. Schaverien and C. Case (eds.) Supervision of Art Psychotherapy: A Theoretical and Practical Handbook. London: Routledge, pp 185-199.
  • Wood, C. (1999) ‘Class Issues in Therapy’. In M. Liebmann et al. (eds.) Art Therapy Race and Culture. London, Bristol & Pennsylvania: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, pp. 135-156.
  • Wood, C. (1997) ‘A History of Art Therapy and Psychosis, 1938-1995’. In K. Killick & J. Schaverien (eds.) Art Psychotherapy and Psychosis. London & New York: Routledge, pp. 144-175. (Cited by NICE in Guidelines on Schizophrenia).
  • Wood, C. (1999) ‘Gathering Evidence: Expansion of Art Therapy Research Strategy’ Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists Vol. 4(2), 51-61.
  • Wood, C. (1997) ‘Facing Fear with People who have a History of Psychosis’. Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists Vol. 2 (2), 41-48.
  • Wood, C. (1991) ‘A Personal View of Laing and his Influence on Art Therapy’. Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapist. Winter, pp 15-19.
  • Wood, C. (1986) ‘Milk White Panic: What do we do to people when we ask them to paint and draw?’ Inscape: The Journal of the British Association of Art Therapists. Winter, 2-8.

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