Book excerpt: 'Medicine and psychiatry, both based on science, require the art of caring, using the principles of art in learning and teaching. Sitting with a patient, making sense of their distress, being empathetic in understanding both the symptoms and the person and alleviating suffering needs a human touch. For that, doctors need the soul of an artist and must be aware of the value that arts have for society and the individual.' - from the Foreword by Dinesh Bhugra This comprehensive book explores how visual art, cinema, music, poetry, literature and drama can inform the teaching and practice of psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Edited and written by a team of expert practitioners, teachers and researchers, including both clinicians and users of mental health services, this comprehensive book will provide valuable insights for undergraduate and postgraduate educators with teaching reponsibilities in psychiatry and mental health. Students of the medical humanities, art, music and drama therapists, and educators in occupational therapy and psychology will also find this a valuable and insightful handbook. 'The authors of this wonderful handbook provide a convincing argument that the arts are good for what ails us. They have each used a preferred artistic medium to deepen personal reflection and to enhance their own creativity as physicians , teachers and therapists. Their models are clear, their suggestions practical, but none of the approaches you'll find here is reductive or simplistic. Try some of the reflective exercises and teaching strategies. You will be sure to rediscover something you have always cherished about the art of healing.' - from the Foreword by Allan D Peterkin