Journal 2
Material: Clay
Population: Children
Diagnosis: Impulse Control and Conduct Disorders
When working with clay I immediately knew I wanted to experiment with the “clay field” described by Elbrecht & Antcliff. I worked with air dry clay I had which I wish had been stoneware. I put it into a Pyrex dish and began smoothing it out with warm water and a sponge. This was extremely satisfying. I felt lost in the sensory sensations and yet so present. The experience of building from a flat surface, pressing into the clay, and adding water to make things smooth was layered and spontaneous. I followed instincts without question or cognitive recognition of form. I think this is essential to the process as we are building from the bottom up, regulating and engaging the brain below cognition, where words do not live.
I chose this population as this is the population I envision myself working with. I personally believe that conduct disorders are often disguising something deeper. I have limited experience of course but I have worked with many children. All the children diagnosed with ODD, ADHD, etc. had experienced trauma, mainly at the hands of a caregiver. I see the approach of the clay field being extremely effective for children with these diagnoses which often center around the rejection of authority, and aggression as well as impulsive risk-taking behaviors. Elbrecht and Antcliff write about the importance of a “bottom-up approach” seeking to regulate the body before attempting to alter behaviors (p.210). I see the impact for this population being potentially in the material of the clay itself. “Touching smooth non-gritty clay is pliable, yet has weight, offers resistance and is a mass much larger than the hands,” (p.210). For a child struggling against authority and potentially push against the therapist, the clay can offer a space to enact these bodily impulses. They can have a physical impact on the clay, and it can also absorb their aggression through the marks. For impulsive children, the immediate impact of clay, instant gratification can be gained and autonomy of cause and effect witnessed. Although this is a “regressive material” it can feed the need for affective release in this population as well as rhythmic organization. Penzes et al. discussed the “affective style of material interaction.” These clients would be “overwhelmed by emotions, have difficulties in regulating emotions and structuring their impulses and may have difficulties with regard to boundaries,” (p.7). This would fit with the diagnoses in this population and thus, care could need to be taken by the therapist to provide support and structure such as establishing some ground rules for using the clay such as how we can interact with it or a time limit. The field has a clearly defined boundary already which helps to symbolically and literally contain the experience.
References
Elbrecht, C., & Antcliff, L. (2015). Being in Touch: Healing Developmental and Attachment Trauma at the Clay Field. Children Australia, 40(3), 209-220.
Penzes, I., Van Hooran, S., Dokter, D., Smeijsters, H., & Huschemaekers, G. (2015). Material Interaction and Art Product in Art Therapy Assessment in Adult Mental Health. Arts and Health, 1-16.
