Final - Art Therapy Session

I dragged my heels a bit with this assignment, mostly because I was nervous that I would have no idea how to conduct the session. Once I gave myself a good pep talk I approached a friend in the MSW program and luckily she said she would be interested. We met at my apartment and I used the art materials from class. Looking back, I probably should have conducted the session in a more neutral setting. I felt that I may have had the unfair advantage of feeling more comfortable since I was at my home. However, this also made me think about what clients must feel like when they walk into our offices; they are entering into our space all the time.

We started the session talking casually and recapping our days. I was mindful that I was about to take on the role of art therapist so I didn’t want to chat too about myself too much. Luckily, since the art materials were in front of us our attention quickly turned to the session. She asked if there was a specific material she should use but I told her that it was entirely up to her. She immediately turned to the oil pastels and a blank piece of white paper. Looking back, I totally forgot to tell her that she could use water with these oil pastels! I’m curious if that would have changed her image at all. I decided to use a directive prompt but only gave her three options: tell a story, draw a relationship, or free draw. I wanted to make sure I gave to option on free draw because I didn’t want her to feel bound by my directions. She thought for a bit and then started drawing. I have to admit I had a hard time staying quiet at first, but I quickly realized it was my own discomfort so I stayed quiet and let my anxiety pass, which it did.

Once I accepted my discomfort I was able to move on and actually enjoy watching her artwork unfold. I found myself searching for symbols and “clues” while the image was taking on shape. I was looking so much at the creation of the work that I almost forgot to observe her body language and facial expression. She sat with her legs crossed and her upper body curved over the artwork. She would sit up straight every once in a while to look at what she was drawing and then go back to working on the piece. This lasted about 10 minutes but it felt like it was much quicker.

After she was done I asked her to describe what she drew. She said she chose to draw a relationship, specifically her relationship with her clients at her field placement. She drew her hands holding pools of water, which was “slipping” through her fingers. The water was collecting at the bottom of the paper an being held in by two figures on the side. I thought it was interesting that there remained a  white space between the pool of water and the bottom of the page, as if it were floating.

I also thought the placement of the hands was interesting. It is the central focal point of the image and the arms are coming down as if from the heavens. I mentioned this (without using the word “heavens”) and she said that she sometimes feels like she is meant to be “creating miracles” with her patients. I asked how she felt after she said that and she responded that she realizes how much pressure she puts on herself. I wish I had explored more about the little people on the side but I guess I immediately made an assumption about them and didn’t feel the need to ask her about them. I wonder now if it represents the many hats she has to wear as asocial worker.

All in all, this was a beneficial session. I was really nervous but by letting the art do the talking I realized I could actually feel comfortable in the session. If I were to make any changes I would have had her do another piece since she only spent 10 minutes on hers. I think it would have been interesting to then compare and contrast the two, as if they together would tell a more complete story.