Eating disorder recovery an be enhanced with a variety of art therapy modalities. In this Open Studio model, the table is arranged for accessibility that helps the ease of discussion, the materials are set up in a way that elicits exploration, and music is played to help establish calmness and serenity. There is no skill level or requirement to join, simply the appetite for creative self-expression. Clients are invited to participate to the best of their abilities in interventions and themes offered by the facilitator or to other projects that call to them.
This creative space helps to foster a sense of trust in the process of art making that most other studio classes cannot offer. In this group, the focus is therefore not on the product that is created, but on how the art maker engages with the materials and their ability to create. Observing the self is part of the process of creating and can often lead to new insights and self-awareness. Clients practice based on the idea that art reveals to us what we are willing and open to seeing. In some cases self-understanding is witnessed more directly, while at other times this understanding unfolds over time.
Each week the group begins with a mindful sit- where we take the time to settle ourselves in the moment and intentionally turn our awareness inward. We then move into a warm-up art activity which aims to loosen the client’s defenses and expand their comfort with different materials and art-making experiences. The group typically spends some time sharing what they noticed about their process during the warm-up. This is followed by approximately 45 minutes of sustained engagement in an art intervention that relates in some way to the struggles with weight, body, eating and identity that clients carry. After this, the group spends the last 10-15 minutes sharing what they have created as well as any reflections that may have come up during the process.
During the final sharing process, clients tend to report on both their experiences of practicing art making as well as what their art seemed to share with them during the session. Some themes that tend to arise are the discovery of self-acceptance and compassion, in what ways the eating disorder serves or confines clients, as well as how the simple opportunity to express themselves offers healing. Clients take turns sharing their work with one another in a non-judgmental environment that values self-reflection as well as the reflections we can offer one another.
Some examples of work we have done so far in the group include:
Self-Symbols, Our body as a Landscape, and Gratitude Mandalas
Some examples of warm-up activities we have done so far include:
Mindful-Painting, Bilateral Scribbles, and Modeling Clay Shapes
I hope that this example of eating disorder recovery using art therapy inspires you to explore your own means of creative expression.
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Jeung-il Tsumagari is a Counselor Intern at Positive Pathways. She is a student at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado completing her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Transpersonal Art Therapy, with an expected graduation date of May, 2018.
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