Page 62 - ART FORM AND MENTAL HEALTH - Ingrid Pénzes

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3
Observation of material interaction during art therapy assessment
The client has a strong need
for security, clarity, structure and control. He is insecure and does not rely on his own judge- ment. Instead he seems to rely more on a benchmark outside of himself; he draws from ex- ample and even tries to make it prettier. He is perfectionistic, works slowly and organized. He focusses on shapes by outlining them. He tries to control the art materials using ink like a pencil. He works from the wrist. There seems to be little space to play with and make use of the art materials. By trying to control he creates a paradox; instead of creating a sense of control he creates distance from his own feeling and needs leading to more tension.
Treatment goals in art therapy
- Letting go of control
- Making space for attuning to and make use of the art materials -Focusing on doing instead of rationalizing
- Making contact with feelings
- Making decisions based on own opinion and need
- Paying attention to the quali- ties and strengths such as be- ing attentive and caring
The client is very tensed. She distances herself from the ther- apist by talking a lot. She is reserved in what she presents in her art and how the therapist might “judge” that. She wants to please the therapist and tunes into expectations.
She has difficulties contacting and ex- pressing her own feelings. During art making she either uses forms that rep- resent her emotions, ideas or thoughts or immerses so deeply
in the art making that she loses contact with her emotions. In these cases she gets over- whelmed and does not remember that she made some of these art products.
- Reducing the fear to present herself and being judged
- Allowing herself to feel and express her emotions in a con- structive way based on own needs.
- Find a balance be- tween ratio and ex- pressing emotions.
The client is verbally and physically very present. Yet, during art making she withdraws, not making contact with the art materials and therapist.
She thinks she is not “creative”, revealing low self-esteem. She has a high need for grip and control; tries to create a structure which she tries to hold on to rigidly. However, she looses control/ structure during art making.
She is incapable of using the art material properties, has no ad- equate problem-solv- ing skills and gets frustrated when things go different from
what she expects. She tends to externalise.
-Taking responsibility to finish an art product -Dealing with chal- lenges in art making by looking at other possibilities of the art material
- Trusting and accept- ing own art making skills
60 | Chapter 3