"I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew” -Robert Frost
Words are powerful. They can be used to express emotion, to tell a story. To disclose a secret. To grieve. To pray. To talk. To heal.
It is common after a trauma to not be able to put words together. Similarly, if a patient is struggling with confusion about something they may be “at a loss for words.” So I give them words. Then, as they find their voice and are ready to start to talk, they have them.
We cut words out of old newspapers and magazines. Use word tiles and scrabble tiles. We start pushing the words around, and something sparks in the patient. They compose something and, just like with the art, they often cannot believe they are really so creative. And they feel good about themselves.
Many people are hesitant to consider art therapy because they feel they are not artistically talented. I often hear “I can’t even draw a stick figure!” It doesn’t matter. The treatment and exceptional outcomes you will experience are the same no matter what your experience with art is.
We use word exercises designed by me to practice using a proper emotional vocabulary. Then patients become comfortable and confident answering a simple question like “hey, how are you feeling?” I tell kids all the time “weird” is not a feeling!
All of my teenage and adult patients get something called a “Silent Relationship Journal” or SRJ. This is a private Google Doc shared by myself and the patient where I invite them them to write as much as they want in between sessions. Every time they write, 24/7, I ask them to text me “SRJ” and I will always write back. If they write something they are not ready to talk about but want me to know, I ask them to highlight it. Then I will not bring that up until they are ready to talk about it – but they know that I know.
I quickly show patients with no prior art experience how to make very sophisticated pieces that they are proud to sign and cannot believe they made. This boosts the ego. Trauma weakens the ego. Patients become more confident, happier and more prepared to engage in the complicated work of healing. I give them tools to reach for before we begin tackling tough stuff. I pay careful attention to pacing so patients do not get overwhelmed.
