99福利视频
A few months ago I wrote about the importance of words. Today I鈥檓 having trouble finding the right ones to describe my experience in supervision this quarter. Not wanting to add to the old myth that art therapists don鈥檛 talk, I鈥檒l try to summon some words to express what I鈥檓 very aware of today.
If I was a filmmaker (and we could set aside confidentiality!) I would show you these scenes: the first scene has a big table with client artwork, files, coffee, a few lunches and six people, including me. Passionate discussion is taking place about the art that鈥檚 present. I probably wouldn鈥檛 film the diagnosis and treatment planning discussions because although important, they don鈥檛 always hold the zing that the talk about the therapeutic relationships and the tender drawing done by a tiny client of his sweet dog, contain.
I鈥檇 have the camera catch the depths of compassion in my students鈥 eyes as they talk about their clients. Then I鈥檇 want the camera to zoom in close, to catch the complicated, sometimes simple, often colorful, sometimes painful artwork created by the children, teens, men and women who come to the counseling center.
If this film had sound you might be surprised at the bursts of laughter. Not directed at the client and usually laughing WITH the student therapist as we talk about the work. Because we鈥檙e human beings, after all. One of the many things that these new therapists are learning is the depth of human misery that therapists are witness to in client words and client art. And so when small moments of joy or mirth pop up, we do jump on them, celebrating in a way, the resiliency of the student therapists who are learning to carry it all. So much to carry. Some days we cry in supervision.
What I hope for is that while my students learn that they can show up as open, caring, vulnerable human beings, they鈥檙e also learning to paint, sculpt, run, dance, and in general, take care of themselves as they do this work. Sometimes I didn鈥檛 and I know the personal cost of incorporating my clients鈥 nightmares into my own at 3:00 a.m.
I think the final image of this film would feature the smiling faces that I saw today. Beautifully sensitive, smiling the 鈥淚 think I can do this鈥 smile. Not smug, not over-confident, just happy to know that after the first quarter of client work, the doing of art therapy is good.
And the supervision of it is a sweet gift, says my smile.
