Art Ps.vchotheropy, Vol. 5 pp. 223-225, Pergamon Press, 1978. Printed in the U.S.A.

A NOTE ON ART PSYCHOTHERAPY AND POETRY THERAPY: THE

COORDINATION OF ART AND POETRY AS AN EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUE*

DIANE MITCHELL’?

Zanesville, Ohio

For the painter,

his strokes are a glass window through which one can see his world.

For the poet,

his words are a mirror through which his world is captured.

For the painter-poet,

each brush stroke can reflect a line and each verse can touch a color

that exists within his world.

Diane Mitchell

Since art and its interpretations can be seen as reflections of the artist and his/her life, the entire creative process can be used as media through which one can experience an exploration and an understanding of self and one’s world. Like Per- seus looking into his mirror-shield to conquer the Gorgon, Medusa, so the individual can view his/her own forms of self-expression, whether they be poetry, painting, music, or dancing, and begin to deal with unconscious material as it may surface through the creative process. In becom-

ing aware of his/her own inner mirror, one can come closer to the reality of one’s life-situation, yet still have a safe, psychological distance and a personal objectivity to begin to understand what may appear in one’s reflection.

During the past twenty years, the devel- opments in art psychotherapy and poetry therapy have offered new ways to the individual to dis- cover self and, through the psychotherapeutic process, have provided greater opportunities for further creative self-expression. In expressing oneself in both art and poetry therapy, one can gain insight into a better understanding of self and others and can develop innovative responses to present life-situations. Expressive therapies are invaluable in broadening one’s self- awareness and self-exploration for the individual can become so involved in the creative process that his/her unconscious need for psychological defenses may be relaxed, and so underlying con- flicts and anxieties can surface. The methods used to attain one’s therapeutic goals in poetry and art therapy are varied according to the indi- vidual’s needs. The ba’sis underlying the different approaches is to provide a means of self- expression for the patient through a poem or a painting in order to develop new constructive concepts of himself and the world arourid him. In writing a poem or painting a picture, one can

*Requests for reprints should be sent to Diane Mitchell, Art Therapy Department, Upham Hall, Ohio State University Hospital, 473 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210.

+I would like to thank Mr. Bernard Stone, ATR, Director of the Art Psychotherapy Department, and the Bethesda Hospital Association for their assistance and support of this research.

0090=90’32~81040223-03$02.00/O Copyright $ 1978 Pergamon Press, Ltd

DIANE MITCHELL

become immersed in the act of creating verbal or visual imagery so that latent materials from the unconscious can be experienced. The individual can sense an awakening, an illumination, into his inner self.

In this paper, the author shall propose several techniques that have been used in the Art Psychotherapy Department at Bethesda Hospital in Zanesville, Ohio, in which art psychotherapy and poetry therapy have been combined to offer a more dynamic approach to the unconscious through the creative process than either art or poetry therapy individually might allow. Many creative therapists have limited themselves to using only those materials within their own fields, whether it be music, poetry, or painting. However, to stimulate a greater realm of self- expression, the therapist should provide a vari- ety of media in which the individual can explore and become more aware of self through creative psychotherapy. The therapist should be knowl- edgeable and trained in poetry and art and be able to deal with clients therapeutically through these media. In the following, poetry therapy and art psychotherapy will be presented separately, and then several methods will be outlined involving a dynamic combination of the two therapies.

Poetry therapy involves the use of poetry in the psychotherapeutic setting in which the poem can be used to journey into one’s unconscious. In writing a poem, the person can express self through the use of verbal imagery and uncon- scious metaphorical references to his/her own life-situations. In arranging the words and images and giving meaning to the poem, the individual develops an expanding self-awareness and self- expression in that he/she alone can understand and appreciate his/her poem yet be able to share it with others. The entire concept of poetry therapy involves not the quality of the poem, but whether its verses have brought meaning and growth to the group and the individual. Members of the group are encouraged to write poetry about their fantasies, conflicts, anxieties, and life-situations and to introduce poems written by others relevant to therapeutic self-expression. The affect of the poem is emphasized rather than the content so that the individual’s identification with his/her feelings can further allow him/her to explore the inner self. New ideas introduced into the group are treated with respect by the

therapist so others in the group can feel secure in expressing themselves through their poetry. As one’s beliefs are accepted and encouraged, one can gain a new-found ability in one’s poetry and an awareness of self through psychotherapy.

Like words in poetry therapy, a painting can be used in art therapy as a passage to the indi- vidual’s inner self. In art therapy, the individual is encouraged to share self with the group through the visual images he/she paints and la- tent metaphors from the unconscious that can appear in the process of spontaneous self- expression. As in poetry therapy, painting in- volves the search for self, not an attempt to seek or express any great art talent. One can develop a sense of one’s own individuality in expressing self through art work. In creating a painting, the individual can experience a flow of emotions in transforming feelings onto the canvas and an awareness of his/her thoughts through under- standing the images hidden within his/her pic- tures.

Whether one feels more comfortable in ex- pressing self through a poem or a painting de- pends upon the individual. The author has noted that often patients in an art psychotherapeutic setting will write or design words into their com- positions when they cannot create images that express their feelings adequately. Other patients will write letters, words, or verses and elaborate these with illustrations. A skilled therapist by in- troducing both poetry and painting into a clinical setting can focus on the expressive needs of patients, enhance the creative potential and pro- ductivity of the individual, broaden the opportu- nity for materials from the unconscious to emerge, and accelerate the entire therapeutic process. By using the visual imagery of art therapy, along with the verbal imagery of poetry therapy, it would seem that the proposed tech- niques can offer a more dynamic process of self- analysis and self-awareness than either of the two therapies can provide individually.

The following methods have been used with short-term psychiatric patients in a general hos- pital setting. Although these methods have been used with a variety of diagnostic categories, the patients had been classified mainly as schizo- phrenic or depressive and were of all ages (rang- ing from 15 to 84 years old). The techniques are summarized here to provide the reader with

ART PSYCHOTHERAPY AND POETRY THERAPY 225

overview of the combined therapies and their therapeutic potential in a clinical setting.

Method I

In the first method, a picture selected by the therapist is presented, and each member in a group of 6 to 8 people writes a poem about the picture. The picture should relate to conflicts in- dividuals in the group are experiencing and the discussion that follows should center upon the themes that have been expressed in the mem- bers’ work. (Poetic interpretations of graphic ex- pressions in art psychotherapy.)

Method II

In the second method, a poem selected by the therapist is introduced and each member of the group paints a picture about the poem. The poem should be relevant to problems with which mem- bers of the group are dealing. In the discussion, the therapist should encourage the individuals to become aware of similarities between their pic- tures and the poem itself. (Graphic interpreta- tions of verbal expressions in art psycho- therapy).

Method III

In the third method, the group is instructed to write a poem and to paint a related picture or paint a picture and write a corresponding poem. The members are encouraged to express them- selves as well as they can, and in doing so, can become involved in the whole creative process. The discussion should allow each member to present his/her picture and poem in whatever manner is most comfortable and should allow the individual to make comparisons between his/her work and life-situations experienced. (Dynamic interpretations of graphic and verbal expressions in art psychotherapy.)

Discussion

In using any of the techniques in psy- chotherapy, it is important that certain con- ditions be present within the clinical setting. By

having a sensitive and understanding awareness among members of the group and the therapist, the patient can feel psychologically safe to express self freely and creatively. Within a psychotherapeutic setting, external values should be absent so that the patient can value his/her own unique forms of self-expression and him/herself as an individual. A major area that is of primary importance is the therapist and his/her role in the clinical setting. A qualified therapist should have a basic knowledge of psychiatry and related clinical training to facilitate patients in comprehending and dealing with their anxieties and conflicts. In addition, a therapist should have a basic aesthetic appreciation for painting and poetry and be able to work well in both areas. The therapist should have a sensitivity to metaphors that may occur within a poem or a picture for often these images are reflections of the individual’s conceptualization of self and his/her life-situation. In transmitting his/her own thoughts and emotions into the group, the skilled therapist can offer stability and guidance for the group, both individually and as a whole.

Further research is needed to elaborate, in a refined manner, upon the methods and tech- niques discussed here regarding poetry therapy and art psychotherapy and the potential com- prehensive therapy which may evolve by joining the two. By providing the individual with a more dynamic setting of expression, one can better explore self and deal with latent and manifest material as seen through the creative process.

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