Art Therapy in Psychosomatic Medicine: Using Art and Guided Imagery to Promote Affect Regulation

Type: Book

Title: Art Therapy in Psychosomatic Medicine: Using Art and Guided Imagery to Promote Affect Regulation

Author: Dolce, Sylvia

Year: 2010
Publisher: Lambert Academic Publishing
City: Saarbrücken, Germany
Country: Germany

ISBN: 978-3-8383-5083-7
Type:
ISBN pages: 76

Abstract

Art Therapy in Psychosomatic Medicine describes Sylvia Dolce’s innovative idea in art therapy. This book explains Dolce’s design in using both guided imagery techniques and art in a therapy session to work through clients’ psychosomatic illnesses. The main part of the book presents cases that Dolce worked with, and the reader can glean much information through the description of the sessions as well as the photographs of the clients’ artwork as time progressed. Dolce’s work would be of interest to any therapists who work with clients with psychosomatic illnesses, use guided imagery, or who practice art therapy. (Leah Blumenthal)

This case study is based on the assumption that using Art Therapy and guided imagery techniques in a therapeutic process with patients affected by psychosomatic conditions can enhance their symbolic functions and facilitate their ability to express their feelings and regulate their affect. A brief review of the history of psychosomatic medicine is offered and basic concepts of the somatization process are presented. In the second half of this paper, the Art Therapy process of two women affected by psychosomatic disturbances is reviewed. The artwork they produced before and after using guided imagery techniques in their Art Therapy sessions is compared. Differences in their artwork between pre and post guided imagery sessions are observed, stimulating questions and reflections on this approach to treatment for psychosomatic patients. Though this case study does not provide conclusions from which generalizations can be drawn, it does demonstrate that this approach did appear to impact the two patients? symbolic expression and did seem to enhance their psychotherapeutic process. (Amazon: Product Description)

Details

Author's institution: Stanford Hospital
Contact:
Language: English
Country origin: USA

Entry number: 4102
English version:

Entry source: USABP Resources: Keeping in Touch Issue 42
Entered by: Tanice Prince
Entry date: 9 February 2011

Key Phrases: Art Therapy, Psychosomatic, Case Study
References:
Other information: