Casestudies

I consciously placed the images at the center of the following case studies. This leaves room for the reader’s own phantasies triggered by the images. The reader may return to these associations at a later point and compare them to the details of his or her own life story and conflict dynamics.

In order to prevent the manipulation of the subjective viewing experience through detailed information on the origin or the title of the works of art, I consciously omit these in the case studies. For the therapist, the backside of each card contains a code. This facilitates simultaneous minute taking of the patient’s selections. The reader of the case studies presented here can find the image title and origin via the menu item “image archive”.


In the first example the cards become a tool in the discovery of several additional diagnostic aspects and a catalyst of the therapy process.

Ms. A., age 34 and a successful engineer, is experiencing a phase of depression after the separation from her partner, which was initiated by her. Her attempts to find a new partner have failed thus far. I suggested that she could re-consider her visions and feelings of womanhood with the help of the image cards. She selected several images from my set of cards and then brought several of her own pictures to the following session. Upon viewing her own pictures in the context of the therapy session, she suddenly experienced a great emotional outburst, to her own surprise.

The following images were selected from the I-P-S set:






These images were among Ms. A’s own images:







In the second case study presented below, the images assisted in the clarification of life goals and decision-making. Ultimately, the patient’s physiological reactions to the images paved the way.

Mr. B is 22 years old and works in the administration of an insurance company. By now, he would rather become an educational travel tour guide. However, he has panic attacks, which mostly occur shortly before traveling or a get-together with peers. He has been in a relationship for 4 years. His girlfriend would like to move in together and is irritated by the hesitations on his part. Now, a travel agency offers him a one-year work placement in Canada.



 


If you wish to learn more about the case study details, the patients’ emotional reactions during the image selection process, and the patients’ biographies (in anonymized versions), please make a special note of this in your email request.