Why Art-Based Storytelling Helps to Empower Counseling Clients
Art-based storytelling in counseling is a powerful therapeutic tool that integrates the creative process with narrative techniques. By allowing clients to express and structure their experiences through artistic mediums, therapists can harness the transformative power of stories to facilitate healing, understanding, and empowerment (Malchiodi, 2012).
When you observe the image on this page, what kinds of immediate reactions come up for you? What do you think is happening? How did they arrive at this moment?
As our ancestors evolved, so did their cognitive abilities. Our brains, in their infinite complexity, began seeking patterns, weaving connections, and drawing conclusions from the influx of daily information. Storytelling emerged as a cognitive tool — a way to simplify, structure, and imbue meaning to life’s chaos. Humans’ social nature further amplifies the power of stories. Humans, as inherently social beings, thrive on connection. Sharing tales of personal journeys or ancient myths engenders empathy, allowing listeners to step into the storyteller’s shoes, and feel their joys, sorrows, and aspirations. This shared emotional landscape fortifies social bonds, fostering a collective sense of identity and belonging.
Within the contours of these narratives, we also find reflections of ourselves. Each of us crafts a personal story, a narrative tapestry that evolves with every passing chapter of our lives. These stories shape our identities, helping us navigate our past’s complexities, our present challenges, and our future’s uncertainties. As McAdams (2001) discussed, life stories are continuous works in progress, adjusting and adapting to the ebbs and flows of our lived experiences.
Cultures, too, are molded by the stories they cherish. Myths, legends, and folktales are more than mere tales. They are the vessels carrying a culture’s values, norms, and beliefs. Through them, elders impart wisdom to younger generations, ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage and moral frameworks. All of these experiences with storytelling influence the storytelling process within the counseling relationship.
For example, there are several ways in which artistic storytelling supports, healing, learning, and empowerment within the counseling process:
Emotion Regulation and Expression: Artistic processes, such as drawing, painting, or sculpture, can serve as a non-verbal outlet for emotional expression. Often, feelings and experiences are difficult to articulate through words alone. Art provides an alternative medium through which clients can communicate complex emotions, traumas, and experiences without the pressure of finding the “right” words (Malchiodi, 2012). By placing their emotions into a tangible form, clients can gain a greater understanding of their feelings, leading to improved emotion regulation.
Reframing and Perspective Taking: Storytelling through art provides an opportunity for clients to reframe their narratives. It allows them to become the authors of their stories, enabling them to change the narrative, introduce new elements, or see their experiences from a new or distinct perspective. This act of reframing can lead to cognitive shifts and can empower clients to view their experiences as part of a larger, evolving narrative rather than as isolated events (Butler-Kisber, 2010). Being able to see how the client’s suffering is informed by multiple variables and systems and not just a reflection of some internal flaw sets the client up for new learning, not just within the counseling relationship, but what is learned in the relationship can be applied in other contexts, leading to new cognitive frames of reference that positively inform the client’s consciousness and thus overall experience in living.
Validating Experience: By creating a physical representation of their story, clients validate their experiences, giving them form and meaning. This tangible representation can be an affirming process, showing clients that their feelings, experiences, and histories matter. It further provides a sense of accomplishment, which can boost self-worth and confidence (Hinz, 2009). The importance of validation in counseling cannot be overstated; it is one of the cornerstones of the change process in counseling.
Strengthening the Therapeutic Alliance: Sharing stories, especially through the vulnerable act of artmaking, can deepen the bond between counselor and client. This mutual engagement in the storytelling process fosters trust, mutual understanding, authentic expression, and collaboration. A strong therapeutic alliance is known to be a significant factor in positive counseling outcomes (Horvath & Symonds, 1991).
Empowerment through Mastery: Engaging in artmaking can instill a sense of mastery and achievement in clients. Completing an art project, especially one that tells their story, can provide clients with a sense of control over their narratives and the medium they are using, empowering them to feel more capable and resilient in other areas of their lives (Hinz, 2009).
Cultural and Diverse Expressions: Art transcends language and cultural barriers. Art-based storytelling allows for diverse expressions, respecting and acknowledging the cultural, societal, and individual contexts of the client. This approach can be particularly effective in multicultural counseling where traditional verbal techniques might not fully capture the richness of a client’s background (Butler-Kisber, 2010).
In conclusion, art-based storytelling is an empowering tool in counseling. It offers clients a unique avenue to express, understand, and reframe their experiences. By integrating art and narrative, counselors can provide a holistic approach that respects the richness of human experience and taps into the transformative power of storytelling.
References
Butler-Kisber, L. (2010). Qualitative inquiry: Thematic, narrative, and arts-based perspectives. London: Sage.
Hinz, L. D. (2009). Expressive therapies continuum: A framework for using art in therapy. New York, NY: Routledge.
Horvath, A. O., & Symonds, B. D. (1991). Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38(2), 139–149.
Malchiodi, C. A. (2012). Handbook of art therapy. New York, NY: Guilford Press
McAdams, D. P. (2001). Delving into the psychology of life stories. Review of General Psychology, 5(2), 100–122
