I don’t feel naked: The use of embodied supervision to examine the impact of patient clothing on clinical countertransference on an inpatient psychiatry unit

Abstract

Abstract This arts-based research study explores the impact of patient clothing on clinician countertransference in the context of an acute inpatient psychiatric unit. A drama therapy intern and drama therapy supervisor used costuming, photography and embodied supervision to reflect on the role of clothing in this context. The outcomes suggest that clothing can be considered as costumes in this context, that patient clothing does influence how clinicians feel and think about patients, and that clothing carries multiple meanings in the context of inpatient psychiatry. Embodied supervision was also useful in examining countertransference in general, increasing empathy towards patients, and illuminating the complexity within the triadic relationship of patient, therapist and supervisor.