Page 43 - ART FORM AND MENTAL HEALTH - Ingrid Pénzes

Therapist 1: “It was so clear, that in her art product and her art making the same happened as in her family life. Because she felt it, that sets it apart form other therapies.”
Material interaction and art therapy diagnosis
Finally, art therapists formulated an ‘art therapy diagnosis’ based on all of the observations. Even though the term diagnosis may assume an emphasis on pathological aspects of a client’s mental health, but this was not what the art therapists in this study meant. The art therapists emphasized the observation of the client’s problems and strengths. In addition, they also focused on the context of these strengths and difficulties. The same aspects of mental health that caused difficulties at the current point of a clients’ life, were also responsible for the clients’ personal qualities. For example, clients’ rationalization often made it hard to connect to their feelings, but it also enabled good functioning in jobs in which analytical and organizing skills were useful qualities.
Therapist 1: “It is important to give the client insight into the positive as- pects of their present wellbeing instead of only focusing on the problem. Problems and strengths are two sides of the same medal.”
Assessment of the prominent aspects of mental health contributed to gaining insight into clients’ mental health, i.e. difficulties and strengths. This assessment also helped in the decision to offer further art therapy (which was called indication), in the formulation of treatment goals and the choice of appropriate art interventions. For example, when clients have developed theiranalytical,structuringandrationalskillssodeeply,theirabilitytocontact and express feelings and emotions might never have the space or opportunity to develop. This aspect often became the focus in further treatment.
Therapist 1: “The balance between ratio and emotion is gone. When some patterns are this well developed, you almost know then which direction treatment will take. To restore or develop a new balance.”
Therapist 2: “If this is an aspect the client has very well developed and is a big issue in his life, than most of the times the question for help is at the other side of it.”
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