teaching philosophy

The Art and Self as Agents for Personal and Social Change

by Mariagnese Cattaneo, PhD, ATR-BC

To write about my development and work as an expressive therapist/art therapist, I have to go back to when I started working with people in Switzerland. As an artist, musician, and teacher in early childhood education, I experienced the power and the therapeutic value of nonverbal tools of communication for myself and the children I was working with. The main component in the kindergarten curriculum was the development and strengthening of the whole personality of the child without the pressure of academic learning. The different art modalities--such as visual art, dramatic expression, music, storytelling, movement and dance--had an important place in the kindergarten curriculum. Through spontaneous play, expressive use of all the arts, and moving from one arts modality to another, the children utilized all their senses. These multi-sensory experiences strengthened and integrated their learning. For example, through painting, drawing, forming clay, and play, the children were able let me into their worlds-- worlds they could never share with me on a verbal level. These modalities enabled the children to share their joys, humor, wishes, and dreams, and they also allowed them to express and work through their anger, pain, and frustration.

In my study of psychology and my work as a counselor, I noticed that verbal communication is often part of a client's defense system, used for over-intellectualizing feelings, problems, and issues. On the other hand, I also realized that in working with less verbal populations, nonverbal tools, such as the arts, helped me develop a trusting relationship. Drawing on my experience and work as a kindergarten teacher, I began integrating visual and auditory nonverbal expression, communication, and perception into my work as counselor and therapist. This was the beginning of a profession that, at that time, did not formally exist--the field of expressive therapy. Through the years I have continued to develop and strengthen my identity as an expressive therapist and art therapist.

I see the expressive therapist/art therapist as an ally of the client, accompanying her or him through their therapeutic journey. The art therapist encourages the client to use visual communication to draw from inner resources, inner imagery, dreams, feelings, issues and problems. In making art, the client gives two- or three-dimensional form to inner and outer experiences by using marks, line, form, color, and space. In the process of making art, the client is empowered to make changes to what once might have seemed unchangeable. By changing the art work, the client transforms the original expression and gives it meaning. Through art making and verbal expression, the client can search for new ways to deal with old issues or present situations. This process empowers the client and can strengthen her or his identity and sense of self.

In our work as expressive therapists/art therapists and mental health counselors, we encounter not only our own cultural system with its cultural norms and the values of the dominant culture, but also the cultural systems of our clients with their norms and values. In my teaching and work as art therapist, I am aware of the cultural experiences that students or clients bring to the work, including race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and spiritually. These experiences are usually accompanied by a sense of power and/or oppression, with implications for identity development and sense of self. We are influenced by the culture in which we were raised as well as the one we live in at present, with their values, aesthetics, norms and taste. Although people in different societies and culture may share similar basic needs, emotions, and feelings, how they express themselves and interact with each other may be very different. These differences are the product of both individual development and cultural dynamics. Cultural values and beliefs guide individual communication, behavior and action. We are all part of systems such as family, work, community, and a larger society.

All expression--visual, verbal, non-verbal, formal and informal--reflects a complexity unique to each person. It is also fashioned by cultural influences, world views, and values. The expressive therapist/art therapist needs to be aware of the impact culture has on images, colors, forms, symbols, movement patterns, musical form, properties of sound, the use of voice, words, and language structure. As an expressive therapist/art therapist, it is also essential that I am aware of my personal responses to specific works of art. Valuing the subjective experience and aesthetics of each individual is essential for a meaningful and successful therapeutic relationship. These responses are informed by my taste as well as my education and cultural background. In my work with students and clients I must abandon old values, beliefs and judgments in the arts. This enables honest communication and interactions that value and respect clients' unique expressions and experiences. It requires opening myself to the full story told through images and words, being present, being both witness and guide in this journey to the unknown in which the arts, as well as the self, become agents for personal and social change.