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Dick James
Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
Drawing as a projective technique has been used to look at both intellectual and personality constructs and intra-and interpersonal relationships through such tests as the House-Tree-Person, Draw-a-Person, Make- A-Picture-Story, and The Kinetic Family Drawing. The major purpose of these projective tests has historically been for assessment rather than therapy. However, drawing as therapy is regularly used as a play therapy technique for children. By drawing pictorial representations of their feelings, children can get at previously locked and submerged affect.
Gumaer's (1984) use of serial drawing of problems with children enabled therapists to assess progress in treatment through concrete evidence of how the picture changed in a positive or negative sense. A serendipitous outcome of this treatment technique was discovered by the presenter. That discovery was that as children continued to draw their feelings and pictorial representations of the problem event, they began to obtain a sense of control over both the problem situation and their concomitant negative thoughts and feelings about the event. Drawing as therapy is typically not used by therapists who work with adults because they see it as "childish." That insular view dismisses a very powerful technique which is particularly appropriate for adults who are in crisis because of a traumatic experience.
One of the most critical components of crisis intervention is allowing clients to regain a sense of control and equilibrium in
their lives. One way of doing that is to use the technique of drawing out the trauma. By simply having the client draw the
trauma a number of positive outcomes may occur. First, the therapist may be able to assess the client's current state of
functioning and his or her emotional response to the trauma. By using Buck's (1966) and Burn's (1987) interpretative
protocols and interrogatives, some hypotheses of the client's psychological state and psychodynamic view of the crisis can
be formulated. More importantly, drawings done conjointly with the therapist's suggestions can help client's change the
scene from terror, helplessness, and powerlessness, to one where calmness, mastery, and control are predominate. This
presentation will take a step-wise approach to using drawing both as an assessment and therapeutic technique with adults.
Participants will be expected to draw out a trauma/crisis in their own lives and will learn how to use drawings as a
diagnostic and therapeutic technique.
Burns, R. C. (1987). Kinetic house -tree-person drawing: A manual.
Buck, J. N. ( 1966). The H-T-P- test: Revised manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Gumaer, J (1984). Counseling and therapy for children. New York: Free Press.
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