Creative manuals

The debate surrounding treatment manuals for psychological therapies has raged for decades. On one hand manuals are presented as useful tools for research and teaching purposes; on the other they are seen as reductive recipe books, anathema to creativity and individuality. This article asks whether it is possible to produce creative manuals that reflect rather than prescribe the art therapy process. The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) has issued a protocol for publishing BAAT-approved special interest group guidelines. Guidelines such as these are potentially a good starting point for a range of manuals aimed at specific conditions or client groups. A brief review of the literature and a closer look at two existing manuals demonstrates the potential to produce psychotherapy manuals that provide useful descriptions and guidelines to enhance treatment fidelity without stifling the therapist's creativity and flexibility or sacrificing clinical richness.