Choosing the right art materials and understanding the interaction of them with the client is essential in art therapy.
In using art media within the therapeutic space, there is much to consider. Art materials have different meanings and can represent various concepts so it is important to consider the materials given to a client very carefully. For instance, paint is not a material that should necessarily be used with a client in the first couple of sessions. Paint is an extremely fluid material that can enable the client to regress. While regression can be an essential part to the healing process, this is not always the case so it is best to get to know the client and their needs before introducing a material that they might not be ready for.
On the other hand, giving a client solely paper and colored pencils repeatedly might not be what the client needs if they have difficulty expressing themselves with such structured materials. Someone who needs assistance getting into the artmaking might need a different type of material to connect with. The range of materials relate to the type of interactions they have with the client and how the client responds to them. One way to look at how the client reacts to materials and the artmaking process as a whole is to consider them within the expressive therapies continuum.
What is the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC)?
When observing the way a client works with the art materials, there is a lot to keep in mind. How fast or slow they are moving, how aggressive their movements are, how the materials are interacting with each other on the art piece, etc. The interactions the client has with the materials can say a lot about where they are at mentally in that session. The ETC helps to outline different levels of processing and interactions to identify where the client is with the materials.
The creators of this continuum took into account human development and information processing to form this expressive arts model of how individuals interact with materials. Using a systems oriented approach, they split the continuum into four different levels to understand the functioning of the individual.
Level 1: Kinesthetic/Sensory
The kinesthetic aspect of this level primarily looks at how an individual releases energy through bodily expression of response actions, spontaneous movements, gestures, and acts of doing. The sensory aspect focuses on internal sensations in response to external stimuli. In other words, an individual leaning towards the kinesthetic side would find the physical movement of their body, such as pounding clay or quickly scribbling with a marker, satisfying. An individual on the sensory side would prefer the tactile feeling of finger painting or the smell of scented markers.
This level can be helpful for those struggling with sensorimotor development, accessing preverbal memories, and expressing difficult emotions. The process of the artmaking and interacting with the materials is often more therapeutic than the actual product.
Level 2: Perceptual/Affective
In contrast to the first level, the second level of the ETC emphasizes the product of the artmaking, rather than the experience itself. The perceptual aspect focuses on the art piece’s appearance, meaning the formal and structural qualities of it such as color, shape, pattern, representational images, etc. On the affective side, there is emphasis on the specific thoughts, verbalizations, and expression of emotions that arise in making and discussing the final product.
Within this level, art therapists can support clients in examining their perceptions in new ways and strengthening communication. Through this examination and opening a dialogue about expressions of emotion, the client can also learn to identify their emotions in ways they might not have been able to before.
Level 3: Cognitive/Symbolic
Information processing, spatial and categorical relations, and verbalization is the focus of the cognitive/symbolic level. Operations here involve how the individual plans their art piece and how it interacts with the world around it. The cognitive component emphasizes the logical and analytical thought processing that occurs in the planning of the art piece. If a client is experiencing trouble executing the piece how they wish, observing how they problem solve and decide their next steps is seeing the cognitive aspect of this level. The symbolic side looks at how metaphor and symbolism are utilized by the individual within their artmaking and how they describe it verbally.
Level 4: The Creative Level
Lastly, the fourth level is the creative level and is a synthesis of the other levels of the continuum. The creative level is depicted as an intersection of the other levels that points to where the individual’s creativity meets the aspects of the other three levels.
Within art therapy specifically, the ETC helps us see the interaction between the client and the art media.
Consistent assessment of where the client is at is essential in art therapy (really all therapy). By using the ETC to plot where the client is currently working, the art therapist can see how the client is using the artmaking and if it aligns with their goals or not.
