Visual Dialog

I’m mostly a “talk therapist,” something I’m a little embarrassed about given my background in art and design, and my training in Somatic Experiencing, where the body is the focus. I think I’ve always been drawn to words. My parents fostered a love of reading when I was a child, since reading was the key to knowledge and advancement. Early on, I taught myself through the written word. My favorite books were “how to” books that taught me skills. I loved going to the library and looking at back-issues of Popular Mechanics, reading cookbooks, and studying needlework through Victorian handbooks.

So even though words predominate in my therapy sessions, I do shift focus now and then, a shift that benefits my clients and me. Sometimes the shift is toward sensations in the body, the felt experience of a moment. Other times, the shift is toward imagery.

One activity I’ve done with clients individually and in groups involves taking turns drawing. Using paper or a small, portable whiteboard, the client begins by making a mark. The board is then passed to me, I add a mark of my own, and pass it back. We continue like this, back and forth, until the client says we’re done. At that point we take some time to look at what we’ve made together, talking about the image and the process together. We avoid the confines of interpretation to simply observe and explore together.

I’ve found this activity helpful for those times when we’ve reached an impasse, or when words just feel too tedious or limiting. Our visual conversation allows us to connect and build a story together. It culminates in an image we can both reflect upon at the end of the session.

The next time you and your client might benefit from some adventurous exploration, I hope you’ll give it a try.

I created a short video demonstration of this activity in The More Creative Therapist Facebook Group. Join the group and take a look. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you leave there in the Comments section.