156 • Introduction to Art Therapy
of structure in the task itself, a topic that has yet to be systematically investigated, but about
which art therapists have reported impressions.
Wadeson et al. (1989) described work with two retarded young people, who required dif-
ferent approaches because of their different levels of functioning. One therapist found that a
nondirective approach with hospitalized depressed patients resulted in defensively cheerful
images, whereas specific themes, like “Barrier Drawings,” helped patients to express the pain
and anguish they were actually feeling (Wadeson et al., 1989). Conversely, McNeilly (2006)
reported that he had “abandoned the directive approach in favor of the non-directive” with
an outpatient art therapy group.
Figure 7.6 Sandra Kagin Graves, media dimension variables.
Figure 7.7 Vija Lusebrink, Expressive Therapies Continuum.