Reflective Writing #2: Clay
Population: Adolescents
Disorder: Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder (Dissociative Disorders)
I used air-dry clay for my experimentation and made a small skillet with breakfast foods on it. For me the experience was mostly sensory as I had to work with the texture of the clay and and figure out how it molded. I had to be focused on the present moment so that I could be aware of what I was creating and careful of how one color came in contact with another because I could not separate them once they touched. The clay that I used did not have a strong smell or slimy texture, but those are things to be mindful of when using clay. The type of air-dry clay I used may be a good alternative for individuals who might become very regressive with mud-like clay or have a strong reaction to smell.
For clay, the population I chose to work with adolescents dealing with depersonalization/derealization disorder. Leone states “sensory-rich processes and kinesthetic movements therefore help clay art making provide a profound effect on raising somatic consciousness” (2020, p. 57). Since individuals struggling with this disorder often have “out of body” experiences, using clay could help bring them back to feeling sensations in a non-threatening way. Leone adds “the cutaneous sense is very rich in that is includes responses to pressure, vibration and temperature, spatial sense, contact sense, and the sense of pain” (2020, p. 57).
Another one of the goals for using clay with this population would be to promote emotion expression from the client, to help them stay engaged in the present moment. Penzes et al., states “art materials with properties that provide high structure are easier to control, whereas art materials that have low structure are more fluid and more difficult to control and evoke different art-making experiences. The ETC describes that art materials with high structure evoke more cognitive experiences, whereas fluid art materials evoke more affective experiences” (2014, p. 2). This means that clay has the potential to help clients reach the affective component on the ETC and recognize feelings that they might otherwise be dissociating.
References:
Leone, L. (Ed.). (2020). Craft in Art Therapy: Diverse Approaches to the Transformative
Power of Craft Materials and Methods. Routledge.
Penzes, I, van Hooren, S. Dokter, D. Smeijster, H., & Hutschemaekers, G. (2014). Material interaction in art therapy assessment. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 41(5), 484-492
