Therapeutic factors in expressive art therapy for persons with eating disorders

Group therapy has been widely discussed in terms of factors that work. Most of the previous work in this field is related to verbal psychotherapy, but it should not be assumed that non-verbal, activity-based groups, as well as combined group forms, have the same operating mechanisms as verbal psychotherapy groups. Thus, there is a need for more knowledge concerning the therapeutic mechanisms that other types of groups rely on. This article describes and discusses the expressive art therapy group at an eating disorders unit in Norway. Particular emphasis is placed on linking specific elements of a case example to a framework for describing therapeutic factors in groups.