Dr Chris Wood

Honorary Research Fellow in the School of English at the University of Sheffield. My part-time employment is as a member of the arts therapies team at Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Trust & lecturer with the Art Therapy Northern Programme, which has recently moved to Sheffield Hallam University.

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Contact

Netherthorpe House
101 Netherthorpe Road
Sheffield
S3 7EZ

Overview

In the School of English at the University of Sheffield, I am involved in supervisory work in supporting Arts Therapies PhD candidates, particularly with Professor Brendan Stone and Dr Anthony Williams. I have also worked alongside Professor Tom Billington and Professor David Forest. The work with PhD candidates and colleagues at the University is inspiring. It helps in thinking about the nature of collaborative practice alongside adults and young people experiencing periods of mental health distress.

People with mental health problems often find ways to live well, and positive developments in this field show the strength of service users and service user movements like the Hearing Voices Movement. 

From June 2024, I will become chair of the charity Art Refuge, which supports the use of art and art therapy in different international locations, particularly with young people and children facing the difficulties of migration.

I continue to give lectures and facilitate workshops in several different countries. I strongly believe in the power and learning gained through international cooperation.

Research 

To investigate and develop, art therapists (art, music and drama therapists) need systematic research like that undertaken by the School of Health and Related Research and a broader-based arts and humanities approach supported by the School of English in the University. Some of my publications are listed below. 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. (2020). Guidelines on art therapy for people with psychosis-related diagnoses. London: British Association of Art Therapists.

Lesley Uttley, Alison Scope, Matt Stevenson, Andrew Rawdin, Elizabeth Taylor Buck, Anthea Sutton, John Stevens, Eva Kaltenthaler, Kim Dent-Brown and Chris Wood (2015) Systematic review and economic modelling of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of art therapy among people with non-psychotic mental health disorders. Volume19 Issue 18 March 2015 ISSN 1366-5278

Waller, Diane and Dokter, Ditty and Gersie, Ailda and Karkou, Vicky and Redsull, Hazel and Sibbett, Caryl and Tyler, Helen and Wood, Chris and Woodward, Ann (2004) Subject benchmark statement: healthcare programmes, phase 2: Arts Therapy, QAA 05909/04. Documentation. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Papers
  • Wood, C.; McKoy-Lewens, J. (2023) An Art Therapy Education response to the linking of inequality and intersectional identity, in International Journal of Art Therapy, DOI:10.1080/17454832.2023.2175000 
  • Wood, C. (2022) ‘How might studios help? Further thoughts on the significance of studios’, in C. Brown and H. Ormand (eds.) ‘Contemporary Practice in Studio Art Therapy’ Routledge
  • Sue Holttum, Tim Wright & Chris Wood (2021) Art therapy with people diagnosed with psychosis: therapists’ experiences of their work and the journey to their current practice, International Journal of Art Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/17454832.2021.1893370
  • Wood, C. (2020) Acceptance in the Hearing Voices Movement: how might this be relevant for art therapy service-users? International Journal of Art Therapy, 25:3, 150-158, DOI: 10.1080/17454832.2020.1795697 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1
  • Wood, C. (2020) Hearing Voices Movement and Art Therapy, Art Therapy Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 37:2, 88-92, DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2020.1756138 
  • Wood, C. (2017-2020), a contributor to the work for BAAT Guidelines on Art Therapy for People with a Psychosis Related Diagnosis published in March 2020. 
  • Wood, C. (2016) ‘Back from the Margins: Strange Experiences and Art Therapy’, in ATOL: Art Therapy Online: Goldsmiths. Vol. 7, No 1:1-28.
  • 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. with Uttley 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.
  • Wood, C. (2013) ‘Dust not spilled’: Published proceedings of Champernowne Summer School 2012. 
  • 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. (2012) ‘Private and public spaces of hope in architecture and therapy’, Academic article Journal of Art and Design: Tunghai University: 2012 no. 2, revised edition published by ATOL Art Therapy Online 2014. 
  • Wood, C. (2011, a) ‘The Evolution of Art Therapy in Relation to Psychosis and Poverty’, in A. Gilroy (ed.) Evidence in Art Therapy. London: Langer. 
  • 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.
  • Wood, C. (2010) ‘Convivencia: a medieval idea with contemporary relevance’. Art Therapy Online (ATOL) is an e-journal hosted by Goldsmiths College, University of London. (Earlier version published by the Champernowne Trust, 2006)
  • 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, 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. (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
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.

Related information