Professional Log

Title:

Family Systems Therapy

Modality:

Drawing and collage

Time:

20-30 mins drawing 10 or more mins to discuss.

Facilitator
Information
:

Danielle Jelleyman, training Arts Therapist, BEd

(taken from second reading)

Materials:

Drawing materials, pens, pencils, scissors.

Goal:

To help an individual metaphorically individuate from a possible enmeshed

family system.
This intervention requires an understanding of the clients family
relationships before starting.

Method/
Process:

For 20-30mins have the client draw a portrait of their family.

Get the client to cut themselves out. Discuss what the family dynamic would
be without the client.

Outcome:

I can see how this might be a helpful intervention for individuation. Cutting
oneself out of a family portait is quite a provocative move. For me it was
quite enjoyable. I currently still live at home but have been individuating in a
healthy way for some years now. It was enjoyable to experience that I could
be cut out of the portrait and my family would continue as a solid heathy
network. The only dynamic I would be slightly worried about is my parents
have not put as much time as I would hope back into their own hobbies and
relationship this is due to their need to care for their own living parents.
It was interesting that I put my brother first out of the siblings- he is the
youngest but he lives the most independent life. My sister is happily married,
having individuated and now making her own family. Im the last one home
so I felt there was some room to play with the closeness/distance with the
cut out figure to my parents. I started drawing my boyfriend, but stopped as
we are not married yet and wanted to keep the drawing exploration to my
nuclear family.

(including
your
personal
reaction to /
reflection on
participating
in this
activity)

The cutting out may be painful or difficult for some clients. This would
provide some material to discuss as to why it is difficult and where that
feeling/issue finds its root.