Using Visual Journaling in Art Therapy

What is Visual Journaling in Art Therapy? How does it work?

1. Create art (drawings, paintings, collage) to express a difficult experience or emotion.

2. Create art (drawings, paintings, collage) to express a difficult experience or emotion. Next, write about your art using descriptive words. This can help you better understand your emotions and/or experience.

3. Explore your body sensations by using guided visualization. This process will allow images to surface from your body sensations. Next, draw the image, as best you can, and then dialogue with it using self-exploration questions.

I discovered this approach #3 after reading Visual Journaling Going Deeper than Words by Barbara Ganim & Susan Fox. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in visual journaling as a way to connect with your own inner voice. I have witnessed client’s receive comfort and positive feedback from their own inner voice following the use of visual journaling in Art Therapy. Their inner voice provided them a simple, easy step forward in healing.

Visual journaling, drawing about your emotions or experiences, alone can be cathartic. Adding descriptive words and looking at symbols can be insightful. However, once I incorporated using guided visualizations to identify my body sensations, drawing images that presented themselves, and then dialoguing with them using self-exploration questions, I was hooked. I was able to move forward. Decisions were more obvious.

If you would like to use visual journaling in Art Therapy, please reach out for a free 15-minute consultation to discuss it further.

If you are interested being a part of a workshop and be immersed in Visual Journaling for six weeks, please contact me.

This image emerged after a re-envisioning visualization. It represents my need to have more FUN.