The Past and Present Story of Art Therapy in Slovakia: A story that is beginning to be told…

This article brings the author s personal experience of training in art psychotherapy at a British university and returning to her home country Slovakia. The article presents the historical context of Slovakia on political, social and psychological levels and the impact of these factors on the development of art therapy. Art therapy training in Slovakia is scoped from early beginnings to the present day, mentioning organisations and individual people s contributions to contemporary art therapy. The author scrutinizes the place of art therapy in the Slovakian mental health system and is questioning of the current understanding of art therapy within Slovakia. The article is concluded by a discussion about the future of the art therapy profession in Slovakia and the task of finding possibilities through the author s personal engagement. Keywords :  Art therapy, Training, Slovakia, Political change, Professional recognition.