The Picture-Perfect Home: A Case Study of a 49-Year-Old Woman in Residential Treatment

The symbol of the house has not been explored in contemporary art therapy. This case study describes how a 49-year-old woman constructed what she described as the picture-perfect home made in 18 art therapy sessions over a six-week period during a residential stay. The client’s structure had two not...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inArt therapy Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 100 - 106
Main Author Hanes, Michael J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Taylor & Francis Ltd 02.04.2024
Subjects
Art therapy
Case studies
Houses
Patients
Self image
Symbolism
Women
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Summary:The symbol of the house has not been explored in contemporary art therapy. This case study describes how a 49-year-old woman constructed what she described as the picture-perfect home made in 18 art therapy sessions over a six-week period during a residential stay. The client’s structure had two notable components—a facade and an interior—one corresponding to her public self and the other to her private self. Her artwork exemplifies how the house may be an ideal symbol for the synchronization of public self into harmonization with innermost psyche and intrafamilial relationships.
ISSN:0742-1656
2159-9394
DOI:10.1080/07421656.2023.2240679