What constitutes an art therapy session?

Traditional art classes may require students to paint or draw from their own imaginations. In my Art therapy sessions, I tend to focus on how the client feels, thinks, and imagines. Art therapy doesn't require a lot of skill because it's not about the artistic value of the work. Instead, it's about finding connections between the creative choices made by the client and their own inner lives.

My role as an art therapist is to help the client in "decoding" the nonverbal messages, symbols, and metaphors frequently found in their artwork. Drawing, painting, collage, colouring, or sculpting are some creative techniques I use in art therapy. The creative medium helps the client to express themselves artistically and investigate their work's psychological and emotional undertones.

Knowing the right tools and techniques is part science, part art. Methods and approaches vary according to age, physical or mental disability, and the nature of the sought-after treatment. When it comes to interpreting and understanding all facets of the artwork, I found it is critical to maintain a non-judgmental attitude throughout the process. I often use open-ended questions to reflect on art for the client to verbalise their associations.

The following open-ended questions are considered when reviewing work:

• How would you objectively describe the image (lines, shapes, objects, and colours used)?

• What emotions did you experience when creating the artwork?

• How would you describe a section of the artwork using the pronoun "I"?

• How do the various components of the artwork communicate with one another to create a unified whole?

• What significance do the colours have for you?

• What would you call your work? What is the rationale for that title?

• How does this work of art relate to your current life?

Several visual clues of the artwork are considered, including the subject or theme of creative expression, the client's behaviour, the client's application, the work's intensity and rhythm, the colours employed, and the types of lines used. I often use Carl Jung's technique of active imagination. Clients use their image to freely associate with other thoughts or sensations that occur to them spontaneously. Sometimes I may employ the gestalt approach. Gestalt is concerned with the overall picture in the present moment. Clients are requested to explain their image from the perspective of the image. The client speaks about the art in the first person in this domain. The client assumes ownership of their creation and becomes the line or blobs in the artwork.

Art, I feel, is a powerful tool that we frequently underestimate. Perhaps we are unaware of its potential influence because of our inner limitations in engaging with art. Clients can express their most intense emotions through even the simplest drawings. As trust develops between the client and therapist, I can go on to a more in-depth investigation of the clients' internal experiences and cause real change. The process of drawings and subsequent debriefing that results in meaning and awareness paves the way for acceptance and healing. I am continuously humbled when clients place enough confidence in me to share their lives.