The use of art making to recount parallel process in the supervisory relationship: A pilot study

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological pilot study was to investigatethe art therapist's use of art making to recount the intrapersonal experience in thesupervisory relationship. The objective of this thesis research was to obtain an in depthdescription of the art therapist's experience of art making used to recount parallel processin supervision. This research is based on the assumption that because thoughts andfeelings can often find expression in images prior to being expressed in words, artmaking about one's relationships with their patients and supervisors may provide anadditional dimension of insight into the interpersonal and relational dynamics that exist.The subjects in this study were 2 female art therapists. The subjects were asked tocreate symbols of both their therapeutic relationship with a patient and their supervisoryrelationship with a supervisor. After the completion of each image, an open endedinterview was conducted with the subjects to explore this experience in depth.The results of this phenomenological study were obtained using the data analysismethodology delineated by Moustakas (1994). The results indicated that the livedexperience of art therapists using art making to recount parallel process entailed thefollowing common themes: desire for nurturance in supervisory relationship reflectedpatient's need for nurturance; desire for clearly defined boundaries in supervisoryrelationship related to clearly defined boundaries in patient relationship; ambivalence,and anxiety, frustration and tension experienced in both relationships; desire to reduceanxiety in both relationships; deepened connections and learning experienced throughsharing of image and art process; and strong emotions evoked from interplay betweenrelationships and art making process.%%%%M.A., Creative Arts in Therapy – Drexel University, 2003