Using Art in Therapy Safely and Effectively. Lisa Mitchell, MFT, ATR, LPC

Transcription

1 Using Art in Therapy Safely and Effectively Lisa Mitchell, MFT, ATR, LPC

2 Why Use Art in Therapy? 1. Create a felt sense experience that invites lasting change. Beyond insights and words Integration of senses

3 Why Use Art in Therapy? 2. To assist a client in broadening their range of emotional representation. Access to all three vehicles of interpretation Physical Visual Verbal

4 Why Use Art in Therapy? 3. To teach and practice creative problem solving. Think of all the things that could interfere with graduating from college. Pick one of the items and come up with as many solutions for that problem as possible. Mastery of the creative process increases problem solving skills and emotional resiliency. Source: Mark Runco Creativity researcher from Cal. State Fullerton.

5 Conditions that Support Creativity Permissiveness Absence of external criticism Openness to new experience Emphasis on internal control and individual autonomy Flexibility Integration of cognitive and affective dimensions

6 The Invitation Have Fun! Play! Explore! Experiment! Be Free! Know that you can t do it wrong! When in doubt, just get curious.

7 Creating a felt sense experience with art. Outside the box art invitation.. What did you add or change? What resource did you have to use in order to implement the change in your art? How did it feel to do this?

8 Broaden the range of emotional representation Developmental continuum 1. Physical representation 2. Visual representation 3. Verbal representation We want to achieve access to all 3 ways of representing emotion.

9 Physical representation Emotions are represented with physical experiences, somatic complaints, rhythm and movement, etc. Goal: Take client from bodily sensations to images. Increase visual representation and verbal representation Encourage client to practice experiencing physical sensations and matching them with the visual representations that they have made.

10 Visual representation Emotional organization is in pictures, client is expressive in art and tends to make abstract art. However, client can also present with very rigid pictures perfectionistic and concrete. Goal: Take client from pictures to verbal or physical rep. increase verbal interaction with pictures process meaning of pictures to increase emotional knowledge

11 Verbal representation Client is rational, auditory, highly verbal, may be concrete. Sometimes the client s auditory processing speed is too fast and the client has no time to represent emotions in pictures. Goal: Increase visual representation of emotion Decrease amount of talking and Stay in metaphor or story when processing Encourage client to allow picture to stay with them

12 Creative process and creative problem solving. What is the relationship? generating options (brainstorming, no dead ends) making new connections meeting unknown with ease seeing from multiple perspectives Changing direction when things aren t working out

13 Introducing Art in a session: As the therapist, you have to be as curious and open to the process as possible. If you don t know, that s probably a good thing.

14 Points to touch on: 1. Words don't do feelings justice, there's only so many ways to say sad...and that's just feelings you can name. 2. Feelings of overwhelm and confusion are really difficult to articulate and sort out. 3. Working with them non-verbally can help bring that which is inside, outside so that you can begin to see it differently and generate new solutions, new ways to interact with your feelings.

15 Points to touch on: 4. There s no right way or wrong way. 5. You are not an art teacher and don t give grades, just get excited about creative expression. 6. You don t interpret art. Attaching meaning to symbols is not your job. Your job is to ask great questions so the client can discover his/her OWN meaning from the art.

16 Points to touch on: 7. The client is the boss of the finished product. Who gets to see, where it is stored. For particularly art injured clients: Did I use the whole page? Did I experiment with the medium? Did I engage in the process (maybe with a little bit of play/fun)?

17 Introducing a general invitation: I have the idea that inviting you to do art might help us get to a place regarding that we haven't been able to really access with words. There's so much about that words and thought just don't help with. I wonder if you'd be willing to try to represent this thing that we've been talking about by using color and line and texture.

18 Invitation continued: Remember, it doesn't have to look like. And you don't even need to know what you are going to draw or paint before you start. In fact, if you let it be abstract, it could probably free you from expectations your art judge might have about what you create. You could start by just choosing a color and seeing what it would like to do on the page. (If the client gets stuck, and it appears they are "judging" or planning, you can remind them to just pick another color--whatever color looks good right now--and see what it would like to do on the page.)

19 Specific Art Invitations Directions: Mandala Draw a circle (in pencil) in the middle of a piece of paper. Invite the client to draw what belongs inside and what belongs outside. Doesn t have to be concrete colors and line are just fine.

20 Mandala Goals: Increase sense of self Boundary work Mindfulness practice Self- regulation

21 Specific Art Invitations Bridge Directions: Draw a bridge that connects one area to another area. When the client is done with the bridge say, Now I invite you to put yourself on the PAGE somewhere.

22 Assessment pre and post Grief work Goal setting Transitions Bridge Goals

23 Specific Art Invitations Follow the Leader Each person chooses a marker color. One person is the leader to start, the other person is the follower. When I say Go, you play scribble chase where the follower has to keep up and follow the leader. How fast, how slow how squiggly can you go? Then switch with each other on a new piece of paper.

24 Follow the Leader Goals Communication Identification of roles and/or rules Rapport building Practice new behaviors/communication

25 Specific Art Invitations Box or container Invite the client to find things that belong on the inside (that need to be kept safe or contained). Invite the client to find things that belong on the outside (that will keep things safe or contained).

26 Specific Art Invitations Before and After Collage 1. Identify the event that you are working with. 2. Fold the page in half and invite the client to put images from magazines that show what it was like BEFORE the event on the left side. AFTER the even on the right side. 3. Have the client label the various images with words that tell the story.

27 Before and After Collage Goals Identify and address grief and loss issues Integrate trauma narrative Affirm resiliency/validate suffering. Reinforce recovery

28 Specific Art Invitations Directions: My Territory If you were the queen or king of your ideal territory/kingdom, what would it look like? What would protect it? Who would be allowed in?

29 My Territory Goals Validate strength Identify needs and wants Increase sense of empowerment Practice articulating boundaries Safe place

30 Specific Art Invitations Directions: Conversation in Color Each person gets one color per turn. You take turns adding to the conversation on the page. There is NO talking talk through the art instead of with words. Don t hog the whole conversation.

31 Conversation in Color Goals establish rapport increase non-verbal communication practice empathy assess and/or intervention for communication styles/patterns strengthen family alliances.

32 Specific Art Invitations Scribble Drawing Directions: Pick a color that looks good. When I say Go, start to scribble. (You can even do it with your eyes closed.) When I say Stop, stop scribbling. Now as you look at your scribble, generate at least 3 different ideas that you could turn it into. You can turn the page to see it from different directions. You can decide to add lines, colors, shapes. It doesn t have to be a SOMETHING, it could be abstract. Now pick one of those ideas and work with your scribble to turn it into that idea. Sink into it, allow things to be spontaneous. See what shows up.

33 Scribble Drawing Goals rapport building teach and practice creative problem solving skills invite expression of unconscious material

34 Precautions Springham (2008): The legal view has now established art can carry risk, and injury is foreseeable if vulnerable people are exposed to it. Art has power but it is not always innately helpful. Source: Through the eyes of the law: What is it about art that can harm people? International Journal of Art Therapy: Inscape. Vol 13 (2) December. UK: Routledge.

35 Precautions Same precautions that you use with talk therapy. But with extra sensitivity: 1. If a client appears stuck. Stops making art. 2. Poop factor

36 Keeping things safe: 1. Provide a container: frame, cookie sheet, clean background paper. 2. Shift focus from art to words. Stay in present moment. 3. Move away from the art. Wash hands, brushes, etc. 4. Don t offer fluid media in the first place.

37 Do s and Don ts In general, when first interacting with someone s art: Don t be concerned with the meaning behind the artwork Don t make any interpretation Do talk about the artwork without searching for meaning Do use visual listening which is similar to active and reflective listening

38 It s about the PROCESS, not the PRODUCT Don t: Say, It s so beautiful!!! ; You re picture is the best! ; You stayed in the lines ; You are such a good artist! These comments stress the art PRODUCT and train the client to produce for you rather than engage in the creative process for the sake of self discovery or self satisfaction.

39 It s about the PROCESS, not the PRODUCT Do: Say, You filled up the whole page! ; You used your brush like this (while tracing a line with your finger). ; It looks like you really enjoyed making this. ; I can see 3 different colors ; I m really interested in this part (point to a specific part of the art).

40 It s about the PROCESS, not the PRODUCT Don t: Help the client by dipping the brush in the paint; applying glue; making your own marks on his art (unless it is established as a collaborative activity); providing coloring books. This tells the client that there is a RIGHT WAY to be creative, and s/he will think that he doesn t know the right way. Eventually s/he will lose trust in his/her creative expression and will not want to use this valuable form of self discovery.

41 It s about the PROCESS, not the Do: PRODUCT Help the client as unobtrusively as possible. If s/he is spilling, your job is to contain the mess without interrupting his/her process. Comment on discoveries and enjoy the process. Be as present to this process as possible. WATCH.

42 It s about the PROCESS, not the PRODUCT Don t: Say, What did you make? ; What is this? ; It looks like a. ; I can see a tree (or whatever). This stresses the PRODUCT and tell the client that s/he HAS to make a product. This doesn t allow the client to simply benefit from experimentation and discovery.

43 It s about the PROCESS, not the PRODUCT Do: Ask, What can you tell me about this? ; How was that for you to make? ; What is the sense you get when you look at it?. These comments stress the PROCESS that the client went through and reminds him/her of the experience s/he had while creating.

44 How to talk about client s art. General Guidelines: Emphasize process How was that for you? Use active and reflective listening Stay in art/metaphoric language rather than translating. Follow your curiosity even if you feel a little lost. This is where your own creativity comes in! Look more at the art than at the client s face. Don t touch the client s art without permission.

45 How to respond to the client s art in a way that facilitates discovery. Start by asking the client, How was that for you? This prompts that client to comment on the art making rather than the final product. Ask it with genuine interest so that the client can give a genuine response.

46 Generate Adjectives Suggest that you and the client brainstorm adjectives to describe the art. You will have to model this at first. You start with geometric terms to avoid interpretation, then have the client respond, i.e. layered, blended, spiky, complex, simple, rounded, sketchy, fast, slow, loud, quiet, small, big, takes up room, bright, dark, tunneling, etc. See if there are opposites existing in the art validate this. Ask yourself do these adjectives resonate or apply in any way to you or your circumstances?

47 Invite the art to be a world. Suggest that the client go into the art Have them describe their experience inside the art Where is it safe? Unsafe? Good/Bad?, etc. Does it have sound? Where would the client want to hang out in the art?

48 Assess for movement Find out the motion/movement of the art. Is it moving? How? If it isn t moving, can client imagine it moving? How would it move? What would change about the art? Which direction would it go in?

49 Invite parts to talk Invite parts to talk to each other If this line had something to say to this line what would it say? How would the other part respond? (better to use abstract parts, but okay to pick out concrete things like a house or a tree) What would it look like when they talked, fought, etc.

50 Does it show the whole picture? If the art looks like there could be more to the right/left/up/down, ask the client to imagine this or even draw/paint this.

51 Add physical interaction If there is an element in the art that seems to represent a feeling, ask the client to locate it in their body. Do some interactive work with this image and feeling.

52 Conclude: Make a bridge If the client can do insight work: Ask, How does this connect with you? I wonder if any of this is similar to the way you relate to others, or how you feel about (whatever the presenting problem is). Only if the client is completely stuck, offer your idea.

53 Conclude: Validate If the client is not ready to do insight work, or too young, etc. simply VALIDATE as if you get their experience. I can really hear the conflict between those two colors! I really get how scary it is in that world you drew! Those layers are so good at keeping the other pictures/colors from being seen.

54 Give it a title For final wrap up, ask the client to think of a title for their art. If it s 2D, ask them to write the title somewhere on the art.