Art by JAL

Group Art Therapy Interventions

Exploring Values

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The Desert | Intersectionality | Vision Boards

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Exploring values in therapy is crucial for several reasons:

  • Self-discovery: Therapy can be a safe space to identify your core values, those principles that truly matter to you. This self-reflection can uncover hidden aspects of yourself and lead to a stronger sense of self-awareness.
  • Improved decision-making: When you understand your values, you can make choices aligned with what you believe in. This can be anything from choosing a career path to navigating relationships. Instead of feeling pressured by external forces, you can make choices that feel authentic and fulfilling.
  • Goal setting: Clear values act as a compass, guiding you towards goals that resonate with you. Therapy can help you translate your values into actionable goals that bring you closer to the life you want.
  • Increased well-being: Living a life that aligns with your values can lead to greater happiness and purpose. Therapy can help you identify areas where your values are not being met and develop strategies to bridge that gap, ultimately reducing stress and improving your overall well-being.
  • Addressing conflicts: Sometimes our values clash with external pressures or internal conflicts. Therapy can provide a supportive space to explore these conflicts and find ways to reconcile them or make adjustments that feel right for you.

By exploring your values in therapy, you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and what brings you meaning. This newfound clarity empowers you to make choices, set goals, and live a more fulfilling life.

The Desert

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Materials
Pre-cut handouts

Coloring pages

Blank drawing paper

Animal Stencils

Drawing Supplies
Intro
Talking about…our values and what they are.

Then we…will do a fun test to help us determine what our values are, followed by reflecting on the results with art.

Ground rules… be respectful!

Name & prompt… What is your most prized possession & why? This may include objects, traits or relationships. (E.G.20+ years of friendship)
Conversation
Values are the principles we hold ourselves to. To help us determine our values we are going to try a little test from Relational psychology. I’m going to ask you to imagine a situation and use the handout to set certain events in order. I want to make it clear that this test is more fun than to be taken as a hard truth. Its ok if at the end you find that it wasn’t accurate to you. Ok? Ready?

Imagine this…you're in a seemingly endless desert with five animals: a cow, a goat, a horse, a lion and a monkey. The animals and you start walking the sandy landscape. After some time you find that one of the animals has wandered away. Which one was it? You keep walking, when one of the animals refuses to keep moving. Which animal was that?

As you keep wandering you look behind to see one animal has simply disappeared! Which animal was that?

You and two animals keep marching forward. Soon another one is gone! Which animal was that?

Despite it all you and the last remaining animal have made it to a lush oasis! Which animal made it there with you?

So, how does this little experiment tell us about our values? Well, because each animal symbolized a different value and the order in which they left is how you prioritize them. The cow represented the desire to help others. The goat represents personal wealth & stability. The horse represents a personal passion. The lion represents one’s personal pride or courage and finally the monkey represents a desire to create harmony in a group.
Intervention
I was thinking we could draw or color the animal that made it to the end with us for the rest of group. I have special color pages or drawing supplies for you to use. Take the next few minutes to reflect on your results and what values were revealed to you through this intervention.
Post-Conversation
Do you think your results are accurate? If no, why?

What animal left first? What was your thinking on this?

Which made it to the end? What was your thinking on this?

Do you have a personal example of how your top value affects your life?
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Intersectionality

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Materials
Paint paper

Watercolors

Paint sticks

Pastles
Intro
Today we will be exploring our values and how they intersect

Ground rules… be respectful!

Name & Check-in; if you could magically solve 1 problem what would you solve?
Pre-Conversation
Values, which may be described as behavioral standards and needs that work to support a person's purpose and vision, are often a guide in decision-making, and a particular individual's values can be defined as what that person holds to be right or good.

Each person has core values that contribute to that person's system of beliefs, ideas, and attitudes, and values often affect how a person operates or responds in certain situations.

Values can be influenced by:

Family: In childhood, most people develop an internal reference for what is good or bad, important, or desirable and useful. This reference is often based on what parents or family members value.

Individual experiences: Values are often transformed or adjusted based on life experiences, education, personal challenges, and successes.

Religion and/or culture: These values tend to reflect a person's sense of right and wrong.

Community: Values may be shared by many people who live together in a community.

Political leaders: Overarching political values may have an influence on people regardless of religion, culture, upbringing, or life experience.

If a person's value system is undefined, it can lead to dilemmas in life, especially when crucial decisions need to be made.
Intervention
I want you to start by taking a moment to think of what your top four values are. Then I want you to assign a meaningful color to them. You can use this handout to form your color key.

Next, I want you to consider how those values interact and influence each other. Use the colors you’ve chosen to create an abstract image exploring the interplay between your top four values. Feel free to create multiple images until it feels right.
Post-Conversation
Who would like to share their creative process?

What values did you choose and why?

What colors did you assign them and why?

How do your values intersect, and how did you portray that in the art?

Vision Boards

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Materials
Large paper

Collage pieces & magazines

Glue sticks

Pencils/Markers
Intro
Talking about…setting goals.

Then we…will make a collage to visualize those goals.

Ground rules… be respectful!

Name & prompt…something you’ve accomplished in the past?
Pre-Conversation
It’s important to know what you want to improve in your life, because how can you hope to improve anything if you can’t identify what needs to be improved? The Life Goals Collage or a Vision Board can begin the journey to bring what you want into your life. Consider…what is it that you desire most? Perhaps you want to improve your relationships? Your health? Maybe you want to gain better control over your finances? Your emotions? Gaining clarity on what you want is the first step toward attaining your goals.
Intervention
To start we are going to take some time to reflect on various areas of our lives we may want to set goals for. Take a few minutes to fill in this worksheet.

Next, pick the two that you want to prioritize.

Time for the art part! To start divide the piece of paper in half.

Write in each section the goal you are focusing on.

Now, find images that help you visualize these goals as a collage.
Post-Conversation
Would anyone like to share their goals and collages?

Why did you pick the goals you did?

What came up for you in the collage?

How can you take one step today to bring one of your goals into your life?
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