Rachel Heller '03

Art therapy is a therapy technique that did not solidify its existence until the 1940’s.  Originally techniques used in art therapy were used in other form of therapy such psychoanalysis, where one would draw spontaneously and use free-association.  Art therapy gives individuals both verbal and nonverbal outlets.  In art therapy the whole creative of art is recognized: form, content, and individual meaning.   Art therapy helps in reconciling emotional conflicts as well as promoting self-awareness and personal growth (Ballou, 1995).  Art therapy can be used as the sole form of therapy or it can be combined with other forms of therapy because art has been proven to be an effective means of identifying client’s issues (Ballou, 1995). 

The foremothers of the art therapy movement are considered to be Margaret Naumburg and Edith Kramer (Ballou, 1995).  They began their work with children, but in different settings.  Naumburg’s career began in an educational setting, which she subsequently left to study psychoanalysis (Ballou, 1995).  Naumburg believed that art had symbolic qualities that came from the subconscious (Ballou, 1995).  Kramer began her career in the hospital and she too left to study psychoanalysis (Ballou, 1995).  Kramer believed that art therapy was a way of integrating conflicts on an aesthetic plane so as to bring the id, ego and superego into balance (Ballou, 1995).  Both believe that the creation of art itself is therapeutic.  There are others that believe art is merely a way for the therapist and the client to meet on a more common footing. 

Some even consider the creation of art to be superior to verbal communication because it tends to foster a more intense expression of the client’s emotions (Ballou, 1995).  The client is less likely to suppress information or intellectualize it.  After a piece of art is created in a therapy session it is concrete evidence of the client is actually feeling (Ballou, 1995).  Artwork created over a period of time can show the progress a client is making in therapy. 

The process of creating art is rather simple, while field of art therapy is complex.  In creating piece of art in a therapeutic setting the client usually goes though a process.  First the client is asked to focus on a feeling or an event; second the clients creates an image that represent the feeling or even; and thirdly the therapist and the client discuss the significance of the created image (Ballou, 1995).  In the creation of an image the client is given a choice of various mediums whether it be drawing, painting, modeling, or construction.  The use of a Mandela in a therapy session is, according to Jungian followers, a very good technique because they see a circle as a symbol of unity and this an ultimate dialogue between the conscious and unconscious (Ballou, 1995). 

A more structured technique in art therapy is that of the “Human Figure Drawing Test” by Elizabeth Koppitz.  This technique is used to measure a child’s emotional and mental development.  Various depictions of figures have meanings.  For instance if child were to draw small figures these would be interpreted as meaning being timid, while large figures would represent aggression (Ballou, 1995).  Many time these drawing reveal the relationships between the members of the client’s family (Ballou, 1995).  Another family oriented drawing technique is that of Kinetic Family Drawing developed by Robert Burns and Harvard Kaufman (Ballou, 1995).  In this therapy mode the therapist would note the style, symbols, actions, juxtapositions, and physical characteristics of each individual or family member portrayed (Ballou, 1995). 

Color is another dimension that can be analyzed using the “House, Tree, Person” exercise (Ballou, 1995).  The client first draws the figures (the house, tree and person) with a pencil, and then the client goes in with a crayon to color the picture.  While the average use is five colors, an inhibited person may use only a single crayon, but a more psychotic person will use many (Ballou, 1995).  Many of these rigid interpretations of figures and colors have come under review because many times they do not take into account the socioeconomic status, class, culture, and individuality of the client (Ballou, 1995).  Therefore in therapy sessions when interpreting artwork, therapists must take into consideration these variables.  Many times the interpretation can be difficult, but not impossible because psychotic individual’s messages will be a reflection of their garbled thinking (Ballou, 1995). 

Art therapy is appropriate for almost any population from children to the elderly and from mildly afflicted to extremely afflicted.  With art therapy the defenses an individual builds up weaken because the interaction with the therapist not totally on a verbal level.  In the instance of Vietnam veterans many simply cannot talk about their experiences, but through the safely and control one has over their artwork, a veteran can see and understand his trauma (Ballou, 1995).  Multiple Personality Disorder patients also benefit from art therapy, as well as movement therapy because they are able to express their issues in a nonverbal format before they can express them with words (Crits-Christoph, 1995).   

References

Ballou, M. (1995). Art therapy.  In M. Ballou (ed.), Psychological interventions a guide to strategies (pp. 68-72).  Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. 

Crits-Christoph, P. (1995). Dynamic therapies for psychiatric disorders: axis I disorders.  New York: Basic Books.