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The primary research question for this study was: what is the art therapist’s lived-experience of drawing a full-bodied self-portrait each week for four weeks?
Projective drawing assessment is a tool used by art therapists with clients to generate an image and facilitate the client reflection of their perception of the lived experience. The assumption is that this self-portrait reflects elements of a client’s perception of conflict, body image, relationships, self-awareness, self-concept, and self-image (Allen, 1995; Furth, 1988; Glaister, 1996; B. L. Moon, 1995; Nunez, 2009).
Historically, the projective drawing assessment tool was used for psychological assessment predominantly with children. The psychologist would give their clients a simple drawing test using 8.5x11 inch drawing paper and pencil with a rating scale (Kroon, 1999). With the evolution of the profession of art therapy, the self-portrait has been implemented as a psychological assessment with a wide range of client’s experiencing an array of issues (Gilroy et al., 2012; LeClerc, 2006; Manchover, 1980; Miller, 2014). More recently, some art therapists have included the use of coloured pencils, markers, pastels, and/or larger paper (Darewych, 2014; Kroon, 1999).
The current study was devised to address the use of the self-portrait as a self-reflective tool for art therapists. The goal of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of self-portraiture as a process of self-reflection, and as a strategy, whereby art therapists can increase self-understanding and address the self-care responsibility mandated by their profession. The approach was influenced by the work of Cameron (2007) and offers art therapists a methodology that mirrors its philosophy and practice. The study was designed for its ease of administration and brevity for the practicing art therapist. The intent was for the art therapist to easily incorporate and integrate self-portraiture and self-reflection within his/her practice as a means of self-supervision.
There were three primary reasons that led to this research question and approach. The first, as previously mentioned, concerned my interest in the use of self-portraiture, as a means for helping professionals maintain well-being, and explore self. The second reason surfaced as I read the literature about the tendency of art therapists to experience career drift and clinification. I believed that integrating self-portraiture and self-reflection would minimize both. Third, there are very few phenomenological studies which investigate the use of full-body self-portraiture in art therapy. Furthermore, I was unable to find published evidence of phenomenological studies focused on art therapists and their regular use of full-body self-portraiture for self-reflection.
Laurie earned a Master of Divinity degree, and directed her work towards pastoral care, later earning a Master of Counselling Psychology degree and furthering her Registrations to that of Psychotherapist, Marriage and Family Therapist, Social Worker, and Art Therapist. Her career led her to a greater understanding about herself and her relationships. Laurie continued to broaden her education and went on to complete a doctoral program in Human Relationships at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary.
Laurie feels fortunate to have attained balance in her work and home life and empathizes with many others engaged in their own personal struggles to attain balance. She has dedicated her career towards helping others on that journey, designing the Self-Supervision program, which was meticulously tested in this clinical research study. The Art of Self-Supervision: Studying the link between self-supervision and self-care chronicles the remarkable findings of this study: that professionals can overcome burnout and improve their health and life balance by focusing on their self-portrait.
Laurie is currently the Clinical Director and Supervisor at The Counselling House, in both London and Woodstock, Ontario, an agency that focuses on the supervision of counselling interns and newly graduated therapists, and their development of self-supervision. Laurie maintains a private consulting practice specializing in the development of maintaining healthy relationships with self, work, home, others, God, and the world.
WEBSITE http://www.thecounsellinghouse.ca/
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ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a good read and the cover is wonderful
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