Creative arts Midterm paper: Due date 4.5 New York time ( before midnight) + 5 pages
+APA style required.
REACTION ART: ANALYSIS OF A PERSONAL ART PIECE
1. Following an interaction with an individual client or group make a piece of reaction
art. Work as spontaneously as you can—without intent or a plan. Consider what art
materials will best reflect your emotional state after the session. Spend no more than
20-60-minutes on your reaction piece. **Don’t forget to include a photo or copy of
your artwork with the paper!
I will send the picture that I draw.
2. Write a very brief description of the client. Explain the reason for referral,
presenting problem, goals of treatment, and length of treatment with you. Briefly
describe the “critical incidents” in the session.
My client LBY was referred to me from his guidance counselor since she said he is
attendance is a problem and he failed three class last semester. So the guidance wants me to
help him and explore the reason. Next, I will briefly introduce my client. LBY is 18 years old
boy and he is in 11th grade. He has 31.32 credits. He is a Chinese student from Fuzhou
province and he lives with his father and mother in Manhattan. He lives really close from
school and he has good relationship with his parents. The reason for him transfer to LESP is
he came with family to immigrate to NYC. Both of his parents are working and they are
running their own business. And LBY is the only child in his family. As for his presenting
problem, he has problem in attendance since he often misses morning class and he failed three
classes because he did not do homework. After having sessions with him, I learned that he
could not balance his time between working out and study and did not like to do homework at
school. He mainly focused on working out (gaining muscle) and playing basketball after
school and did not focus on school work. He spent too much time on working out at least 5
hours a day and will stay up late. He often felt tired after working out and could not get up
early in the morning, so he often absent and did not do homework. He also has the habit of
staying up late to catch up some class homework and sleep at 1 or 2 in the morning. Besides,
he said he did not like to do schoolwork at school since he prefers to be alone and he could
1
concentrate more and he felt the school environment is too noisy and he could not
concentrate. The goals that me made together including making a time plan to improve his
homework efficiency, to help him doing his homework on time, balance his study and work
out time by adjusting his working out hours, improving his attendance and his overall GPA.
He started to have sessions with me from November and this is the 10th session with him and
each session will last 20 minutes long. this artwork reflects my tenth session with him, and
the critical incidents about this session was that I brought up the topic of termination, I
informed him my leaving and asked his thoughts and feelings of while working with me, how
does he feel working with me and what changes did he made,
3. Discuss your artwork. Consider the meaning relative to the session to which you
were reacting. What is the mood of your artwork? Use references and in-class
lectures to examine and analyze the piece. Evaluate developmental, emotional, and
aesthetic components (i.e. balance, structure, center, energy, etc.). Consider the
meaning or what has been represented about your relationship or feeling state with
the client. Are there any metaphors or symbols that stand out? Notice what defenses
you may be using with the client. Is a discussion of projective identification relevant
to your work?
I have a photo for you. I divided the art into two pieces to reflect my emotions. One for
happy part and one for sad part. The topic for my session is termination. Since I only have one
month to stay at my internship and have session with the kids, after asking one of my students
about the feelings when we are working together, I have many complex feelings. First, I want
to talk about the happy part. I have a sun, a smiley face, a victory gesture, a red flag on the
stairs (means helping the client achieving the goal), a clover leaf (means I am lucky to have
him as my client). And some grass and flowers (means wish him good luck and a bright future. )
also, a jumping person (means my internship will end and I did help my client to make progress).
I used may bright color of this happy part such as orange, yellow, red, and green to express my
happy feelings. I am happy that he made big progress and realized his goals including going to
school on time, less absence, finish homework on time and improves working efficiency,
forming the habit of sleeping early and he became more refreshed. Also, his grades improved,
2
and he likes to express with me more. He made all these positive changes after having sessions
with me and I am happy for him. He mentioned he became happier and energetic more. I am
glad that I helped him. As for the sad part, I draw rain and a little sad person ( which means I
feel sad to end my working relationship with this client since we build a very good relationship
and are close to each other). An hour glass means the time to spend with him is limited. A rope
with a scissor means this relationship will come to an end after my leaving. And a sad little face
means I will miss my client. After having this working relationship with him, I can’t believe
this will come to an end, and my client expressed that he could not believe I will leave and he
felt a little sad. When he expressed that he felt sad and he will miss me, I feel sad as well and I
will miss him too. I realize the time in here is very limited and my working relationship with
him will come to an end soon. I also feel nervous and confused how I can terminate with him
and I think there are many things to do at this short time period, I am feeling scared and worried.
4. Discuss the meaning of your reaction art in the broader context of your current life
situation. How might it reflect things that are happening in your personal life?
I think this artwork also reflect my graduation and my ending at the NYC as well. I will
graduate in this May and this is also my last one month to stay in here. On the one hand, I am
happy that I am finishing my MSW study and will get my degree. Getting the MSW degree is
also one of my goal, and I am realizing this, I am so happy. Besides, I am happy that I am I
can have one-year internship experience at high school and know my clients. I learned a lot
from my supervisors and other interns and strengthened my clinical practice skills including
CBT and motivational interviewing. However, I feel sad at the same time since my journey at
NYC will come to an end, and I just felt like time flies, and I will go back to China real quick.
The experience at my internship is so unforgettable that I will not forget, I will miss my
friendly kids and my nice and helpful colleagues. From a broader perspective, as a
international student, this is my first time to be here in the NYC, to live and study alone for
the first time, I found after one year experience in nyc, I make many positive changes as well
such as becoming more independent, improving my English skills, and my problem-solving
skills. I feel very lucky to be in NYU and to learn from our very experienced possessors and
exchange ideas with my outstanding classmates. Furthermore, I made many friends from all
3
over the world and have a chance to learn different culture from our diverse classes.
Meanwhile, I have a change to explore many beautiful places in NYC such as different
museums. This year’s experience help me broaden my horizon and I feel so happy and
satisfied. But, there are some down moments as well since this is my first time living alone at
abroad. I meet many difficulties and experienced many sad moments including culture shock,
loneliness at first, adapting to the climate and food, and missing my home China. the ending
is coming soon and I am already missing my life in NYC no matter good or bad, and can’t
believe the ending is coming soon and felt nervous and confused since there are many things
that I need to deal with. Termination is hard and I have many complex feelings at this process,
and my artwork help me reflect what I am thinking and where I am at. I have a chanced to
care about my own feelings.
5. Describe how the process of this assignment felt to you? Discuss how the meaning of
your artwork might inform your future work with the client or group.
I think this art work help me to realize my own complex feelings for termination, to have
a chance to express and reflect my own feeling. This artwork helps me to know more
about termination and focus on addressing the complex feelings about me and my client
to end the working relationship successfully. I will further learn about my client feelings
to help him gradually adapt to my upcoming leave and let him continue these positive
changes that he has made. Furthermore, this artwork also reminds me of my group kids as
well, the feelings that I expressed in the artwork are the same with my group kids, this art
makes me think what to ask and how to terminate with my group kids such planning some
ending rituals or topic to focus on their feelings or concerns.
Please use these references below in the paper
1. Levine, E (2002). The marriage of art and therapy: Divorce or re-enchantment. In Levine,
S. (Ed.) Crossing Boundaries: Explorations in Therapy and the Arts-- A Festschrift for
Paolo Knill, pp. 109 - 122. Toronto: EGS Press.
2. Somerson, R (2017) The essence of play. RISDxyz, pp.44-45, Spring/Summer 2017.
Rhode Island School of Design.
4
3. Furth, G.M. (1988). Focal points to understanding drawings: Diagnostic and therapeutic
aids.
(Chapter 4), The secret world of drawings: Healing through art. Boston: Sigo Press.
4. Lilienfeld, S., Wood, J., & Garb, H. (2000) The scientific status of projective techniques.
Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 1(2), 27-66.
5. Buechler, S. (1997). The right stuff: the analyst’s sensitivity to emotional nuance.
Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 33, 295-305.
6. Schaverien, Joy. (1999). Art within analysis: scapegoat, transference and transformation.
Journal of Analytical Psychology, 44(4), 479-510.
5
Purchase answer to see full
attachment