Case – An interview and one-on-one session with a client who has experienced violence
By Cæcilie Liv Carlsen
Feelings
I could feel them pushing from the confrontation
But what’s the point?
Back and forth, their ongoing persistence was
I was banished like a blind man without a siren or a cane
The depth of these emotions, now like a war dance
They surround me and let go.
If my sobbing could have held me,
my crying had bound you until I had to accept
that there is no one, except my feelings
and I cry again.
Poetry is made up of letters that are sometimes combined into words, sometimes not, and the tempo and rhythm between words. (Rømhild 2014[1]) Poetry as therapy means writing in an expressive way, a way of putting thoughts and feelings into words and letting yourself be carried away by your imagination and associations as you relate to different topics.
“Maybe I can be someone – a person. Maybe I can become a poet”
This is what Marie said after her art therapy session and course. The poem she had created in the session was about her right to feel. Marie grew up in an abusive home. She was removed from her home and arrived in foster care when she was 12 years old. From there, she was moved to a new family when she didn’t settle in. She was later placed in a residential institution. This is where she started keeping a diary. Writing helped.
Marie: “When I felt most alone, I wrote. When the memories became too much and I didn’t feel like there was room for who I was or me, I could tell someone.”
As therapy, we started doing a daily writing exercise. Each written assignment was allocated 5 minutes. Only 5 minutes, because there should only be time for immediate stream-of-consciousness thoughts and free association. It wasn’t about being perfect or being too conceited. Marie could answer in poetry form or with sentences from her diary
An example of a one-day writing assignment:
“When have you felt overwhelmed and how did you deal with the challenges?”
Marie wrote: “I want my voice heard! I want to help other people from an honest place in my heart. Not just providing comfort and telling people what they want to hear, so the same people come back with the same problems day after day, week after week.”
You hold on through the pain
You persevere through change
You hang in there until the day is done
You hold on because you know
that you need this experience
You hold on because you know
that you just can’t help yourself.
Although some leaves have been lost
Are you now swaying with the wind
and digs deeper into the mud.
After the course, we evaluated her process together and collected the things she had written.
Was she able to immerse herself or was she distracted? Was she surprised?
“I enjoy thinking and writing. I also dread it for a quick minute before I write and actually feel relief as I write and think “I can actually do that!” I don’t think I take enough time in general to focus on writing beyond what’s going on right here and now. It’s thought-provoking that my writing could give me an identity as an artist if I dedicate enough time to it.”
I asked if she would like to meet with others online and share experiences with this particular writing exercise. Marie chose to say yes. After the joint session, she stated:
“I enjoyed answering my 5 minutes and I enjoyed seeing and hearing from the people who participated, venting their feelings, group sharing and helping me understand you are not the only one who has these feelings. I think the worst part of the pain and doubt is that you are the only one. Hearing similar stories is empowering. You can see that you are not alone.’
Can we and how can we offer more art in the healthcare system as part of general rehabilitation? Where a creative individual can actively be something for others and find answers to their wellbeing to complement their healing.
For options go to https://www.kunstterapeutforeningen.dk/
[1] Niels Peter Rømhild (2014) “Poetry”, in Den store Danske, https://denstoredanske.lex.dk/poesi
