Brief Therapy for Patients in Crisis

Abstract

Most psychiatric in-patients are extremely vulnerable, as a result of their recent emotional crisis. Many have experienced terrifying psychotic episodes where their egos have disintegrated and their entire personalities have been engulfed by primary process thinking. Others have been overwhelmed by profoundly painful emotions. For these reasons, an insight-oriented approach to therapy, which can uncover the unconscious, may be counterproductive. There are, however, many other ways that the art therapy process can facilitate recovery for these people. This paper demonstrates how people suffering from a variety of different psychiatric conditions were able to profit from art therapy even when time was limited, in many cases, to only one session. This approach emphasizes the “here and now” and works by empowering the patients to access their creative potential as a step toward developing ways to better cope with their lives.