Ethics~

There are many ethical considerations an art therapist has think about when working with a client. Many of these are discussed in the first Academic Paper I wrote for Ethics. First, is to receive informed consent for treatment with a client. This means explaining art therapy and being clear on expectations for both the client and therapist. When working with a minor this would include receiving consent from the parent/guardian while also balancing the relationship and boundaries between them and the minor client.

Second consideration is around artwork and who is entitled to it. Artwork is considered part of the client record and in most cases needs to be stored and kept by the therapist in a specific way. However, there can be some grey area there. Clients may want to continue working on the artwork outside of session, or want to take it home, they may also request their files, or parents may want to see the artwork of their child. There is ambiguity amongst the art therapy community about this which is outlined in my paper.

For me part of being an ethical therapist is being transparent and encouraging conversations about the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. I think it’s important to discuss how art making is stored and kept during the informed consent process, but also leave it open to discussions down the line. I do think a client is entitled to their artwork but it is also my responsibility to assess that it is safe for them to take it out of our shared space. As discussed in my Sculpture of Ethics project there will always be more than one right way to navigate ethical situations. Which is why it’s important to look to the ethical codes as foundational support and seek help from peers and supervisors when grey areas arise. My goal is to have my client’s best interest at heart while maintaining a safe container. Which means keeping myself ethically accountable and creating a community of support to guide me through challenging situations.

Skills~

I have gained many skills throughout my time at Southwestern and learned through experience foundational skills and tools in becoming an effective therapist. The skill that seems to be most effective in my interactions with student clients is being grounded. I am naturally a very grounded, calm person and I have slowly utilized it to become my greatest asset. Being grounded helps me stay present in the moment and open to what a client is sharing/experiencing. It allows me to stay focused and not only pay attention to the words but also the nonverbal communication coming from the client. When I hold space from a state of presence and grounding it sets a baseline for emotional regulation with a client. Much of the positive feedback I received from student clients is that I am grounded and present as you can see in the artifact below.

Another skill or lesson that I have learned throughout this program is to trust myself and follow my intuition when working with a client. I feel that in the beginning of practicing therapy skills I would get overwhelmed about how to respond to a student client or what questions to ask, I would also get paranoid about forgetting certain details of their sharing. Over time I have slowly let go of the fear of getting it wrong. Moments in practice when I have led with my intuition is when the client would move deeper into their sharing. I think it was an important lesson for me to learn and helped me gain confidence in my ability to be an effective therapist. It is ok to get it wrong, its ok to be corrected, that is part of relationship building and letting the client lead the way. Other skills I have outlined in other sections are my ability to be compassionate and nonjudgmental. These skills are important in building relationship with a client. If they feel I am coming from a place of love and openness to hearing their story and encouraging their creative process that allows us to build a trusting relationship.

One area of growth I see for myself is to be more outspoken with clients. It can be difficult for me to interject reflections/questions when a client is riffing on a thought for a while. Sometimes letting client’s riff is good, but when the riffing turns into a spiraling out or going in circles I feel it’s my job to insert a reflection or potentially redirect to the intention of our discussion.  It’s hard for me to find openings to do that but I think over time and with practice I will build my confidence to be able to do it in a way that feels comfortable and natural for me.

Segments of feedback cards from my classmates in Consciousness II

It is my belief that art making can deepen the therapeutic experience. Art has the ability to uncover wounds and facilitate transformation and healing. When I think of using art as therapy, I think it is important that it is a mutual decision between myself and my client. Not all clients will be open to art therapy and art therapy is not for everyone. Getting to know a client’s openness and comfort with art materials is a great way to start. Using materials they already know or are excited/curious to use is a way to dive in without causing overwhelm.  I think it’s also important to make sure a client understands all the ethical considerations that come with art therapy for example how the art is stored and who has access to the art.

It’s important that before beginning art therapy there is consent from the client and an understanding of the process. I want my clients to understand that art making is always optional, that they can opt out at any moment because our relationship is focused on their growth and must operate within the confines of their comfortability and window of tolerance. I think a good example of making these accommodations can be found in my Techniques Facilitation outline. In that process it was important to provide the option to clients to not engage with nature if that is too uncomfortable for them. We also used nature as art materials for sculpture, so I think having a more inventive view of how to make art and being adaptable is a skill I hope to continue building. Everything in therapy is an invitation and it is important to treat art making with that same sentiment.

Images 1-3: Diagnostic Drawing Series made in Assessments, Fall 2021

Assessment~

Assessments are a great tool for art therapists to target specific problem areas. Some assessments are validated by research, and some are not, but the overall goal is to get information from the client. Assessments can help uncover information that can aid in making a diagnosis, but most of the time they cannot be used to diagnose. Which is why I feel that assessments need to be used with caution and care. The structure of assessments are one size fits all, however art making, and interpreting art is subjective, which leads me to question equity when it comes to using assessments. Working with assessments is a balance between objective and subjective, being aware of internal bias and judgement is essential. Communication of the assessment process is important. A client needs to know the nature of the assessment, what it is used for, how it works, how it will be interpreted, and consent to all these things before engaging with an assessment.  As a future therapist I am open to using assessments, though I do still have some skepticism around them. I think it will be important for me to incorporate them in a way that fits my therapeutic style and approach them with the mindset of how they will benefit my clients.