The literature I reviewed about art therapy with people experiencing life threatening illnesses, described an interpretive style in which therapists interpreted their clients drawings. The purpose of this study was to facilitate the participant's interpretation of her drawings. My role as facilitator involved the utilization of counselling dimensions in the participant's general conversations and those specific to her drawings. I related to the participant as a person and a woman in our sessions. The participant was a 62 year old woman with cancer, who displayed anger over her diagnosis and a need to be listened to. Twelve open-ended sessions were conducted with the participant, for approximately one hour each. The participant made all of her drawings in her home, and our sessions were used to discuss her drawings and her issues. Results indicated that with my facilitation, the participant could interpret her own drawings. These findings suggest more research is required which focuses on the process of client interpretation. This type of research would help counsellors in assisting their clients increase their understanding of their art productions.
Theresa R Emberly (Sat,) studied this question.