Posted by Judy Weiser, Administrator Well, there are more and more people in the U.K. interested in both PhotoTherapy and "Therapeutic Photography" (which has lately started to more often be called "Autobiographic Photography", as suggested by Jo Spence's Archivist Terry Dennett...) -- but yes, Mark is definitely one of the early pioneers in this path of going from photography to therapy work... In the U.K. (where I'll be doing workshops in the Autumn, by the way, so let me know if you know places who might want me to do a lecture or something similar!), there are now about five students I'm aware of, who are doing theses about these topics -- so if you (and/or anyone else!) will send me your email address, I will be happy to put you in touch with one another through a direct email message. Please remember that the more you share, the more people can connect with you and network/help (examples below). and when you finish your Dissertation, please remember that I beg people to donate a copy to the Libarary here at the PhotoTherapy Centre so that it can be in the Archives and thus guide future students!! Now before I go any further I want to mention the ongoing discussion about people writing theses about such topics, re: the fact that it's important that they become clear about the differences between using photos IN therapy ("PhotoTherapy") and photos AS the therapy ("Therapeutic Photography" or "Autobiographical Photography"), because you will need to be clear in your writing which of these your focus is on... there's more info about these on my website, although perhaps you already know this, since you mention having read my book. I mention this because in the U.K. the two have unfortunately been confused with each other, under the title of "photo-therapy" having been used as the "title" for both, and so perhaps you'll be able to use the info below (re: other students) but perhaps not... Anyway, right now, for example, I am currently working in advisory capacity with students exploring the use of photography in various ways & "therapies": 1) a person @students.lincoln.ac.uk who isdoing her degree in Media Production at the University of Lincoln -- where she specialises in "still image and new media" -- and her dissertation is about: "looking at photography, photographs and the consequence of the interaction of them with people.I am interested in how photography has the 'power' to influence the human mind, and to therefore heal" 2) someone who is doing studies at the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Northumbria Uiversity, Newcastle upon Tyne: "looking at the concept of 'touch', both the physical act of therapeutic touching and the emotional experience of being touched, available to visual artists who deal with photography... and explore the potential of photographic practice to aid the healing process" 3) plus two others, one at Kingston University (London?) and the other whose info I've momentarily forgotten! and I have been able to put them in touch with one another. finally, there have been previous students, whose work is listed on the main PhotoTherapy website's page for "Student Theses/Dissertations/Papers" -- if you want any emails for those people, I probably can connect you with them. for example, one from 2002 at the University of Birmingham, whose thesis was: "Visual Therapy: Exploring the relationship between therapeutic photography and women's self portraits." One of those was even at your own location: Lancashire!! (1998 -- The magic mirror: "Photographic self-portraiture: Making a feminist statement", S. Mason: Masters Thesis, Women's Studies, University of Lancashire, Lancashire, England.) others, such as Nick Wiltshire and Madge Gibson did theses in Wales so there's the good potential for a "U.K. PhotoTherapy Network" -- so if any of you want to be in touch with one another, perhaps you might want to post a second message! it could be titled something like "looking for people in the U.K. interested in PhotoTherapy and/or Therapeutic Photography (but make sure to do this as a NEW message thread though -- so tha the title of U.K. shows in it; go back to the main page and start a new "thread" via a message into the window at the bottom of the main page for the Group) must stop for now, but please keep me posted (via direct email to: jweiser@phototherapy-centre.com -- unless you want all readers of this group to see your messages!) regards, Judy (Weiser) Link: Student Theses
on 3/19/2004, 11:45 am, in reply to "Re: Use of Photographs in Therapies"
207.6.30.186
Hello Jan (and Mark),
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