Art & Drama Sessions with Two Young Families

by Judith Rubin, PhD & Eleanor Irwin, PhD

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The family art session offers an opportunity for each member, individually, to create and reflect on the product, while the family mural task requires the family to share space. Thus, while interactional patterns and psychological aspects of the self are revealed in both art tasks, the request to work together in a shared space may be more difficult, as members sometimes ignore personal boundaries and trespass on another’s work.

Puppets, through their costumes, carry symbolic messages: i.e., King – power and riches; Alligator and Dragon – aggression; Doctor, Policeman – one’s occupation, etc. While the opportunity to create and reflect is also present in drama therapy, the additional inherent demand for action is hard for all, especially preschoolers. Because drama suggests “action and conflict,” players need to cooperate to create a story, but action-oriented preschoolers, with immature defenses, may tend to use puppets concretely as aggressive weapons rather than as “symbols,” enacting fantasies. And, just as at home, parents try to deal with the emotions stimulated in this situation.

In Depth

Specs

Bios

Disclosures

Videotaped sessions from two families show similarities and differences in art and drama family sessions, but interactional patterns and conflicts are illustrated in both, including issues of dominance/submission; victim/aggressor; problem-maker/problem-solver.

This video was formerly included in the Expressive Media Arts Therapies Films Collection distributed by Expressive Media Inc.

Length of video: 1:51:21

English subtitles available

Group ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-614-5

Group ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-614-1

Judith Rubin, PhD, is a psychologist and art therapist and is on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Society & Institute. Dr. Rubin is the author of five books, including The Art of Art Therapy.

Eleanor Irwin, PhD, is a psychologist and drama therapist, as well as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.

Judith Rubin, PhD & Eleanor Irwin, PhD was compensated for his/her/their contribution. None of his/her/their books or additional offerings are required for any of the Psychotherapy.net content. Should such materials be references, it is as an additional resource.

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