Mosaic tends to be a very popular choice of medium at my site. Patients can decide on whether or not they want the product to be abstract or concrete/representative, 3-dimensional or 2-dimensional. The materials we would use could vary from seashells and broken glass to tiles and small mirrors. I am going to write on the process of working on a flat surface, however, using a 3-dimensional object to serve as a base, such as a pillar of wood, would only vary slightly from the 2-dimensional process.
When first starting with mosaic, I would first start with the foundation that the patient may want to build on. This could be on a metal tray with sides that help contain the glass, a piece of plywood, or even an old plate. I then would offer the pieces of glass to the patient, asking if they had a preference of the type of glass. I once had a patient tell me that they preferred to use the broken glass as opposed to the tiles, saying that they represented her. However, the choice to use broken glass over tiles could also allude to aesthetic preference as opposed to a symbolic one. Once all the pieces have been chosen, they are glued to the foundation using strong glue and set aside to dry.
The grouting process is the step that is the most sensory focused of all the steps in creating a mosaic. Premixed grout would be added to the spaces in between the tiles and glass either with one’s hand or with a tool such as a palette knife. Like clay, the grout can be regressive but also beneficial depending on the patient’s needs. Smoothing over all the glass pieces will slightly cover them in grout, however, once it has dried, a light coat of grout can be wiped away with a wet sponge. Not only is this process satisfying, but can also serve symbolically as a revealing of the artistic and psychological processes.
Due to this process needing to occur over a few days due to the dry time of the glues and grout, I think that this would be a way to integrate frustration tolerance and patience building if these are the goals set for therapy. I think it is also beneficial for individuals who might be processing depression, serving as a means of reframing, and constructing fractured items.
Referring back to the patient that stated she felt that the broken glass represented her, although she did not come to therapy looking for psychotherapy but rather art-making, she created a piece that held a lot of meaning. She had chosen jagged pieces, reminding herself of her physical rehabilitation, but created a piece that came together as one cohesive entity. We had processed what this meant before her discharge and, although the intentions were not with her mental health in mind, she had realized what amazing feats she had conquered at her stay in the hospital and how she had transformed physically and mentally.
