16 • Introduction to Art Therapy
Having learned to express his aggression outward instead of inward, he experimented
with many roles, sometimes using a toy gun to attack or protect himself from his enemies.
Full of courage, one day Jim challenged the male leader to a mock pantomime battle. When
Dr. Borrero showed him how to fight in slow motion, he was able to exert the necessary
control, yet still win the contest. He kept coming back for more, repeating his slow-motion,
in-the-air knockouts, thus mastering the anxiety about the once-feared effects of his own
aggression. And, equally important, he was able to sit down and talk with the leader about
the experience when it was over.
In one improvisation, Jim started to frantically gobble up bunches of French fries, saying
that they were thermometers and would make him strong. Drs. Irwin and Borrero became
MDs who tried to figure out the best course of treatment for such a fantasy, drawing X-rays
that showed the thermometers, and measuring him with a yardstick to confirm that he was
growing stronger. It was probably helpful to Jim that the leaders were able to join into the
spirit of his zany drama, and to use their own creative resourcefulness to help him deal with
his wild fantasies.
Through the leaders and the other group members, Jim was able to grow in remarkable
ways. When I ran into him in the airport 20 years later, he greeted me warmly and was
proud to tell me about his personal and professional success.
Art Therapy with a Depressed Woman: MRS. LORD (27)
Mrs. Lord and her daughter Lori, described earlier, each saw a psychiatrist and myself every
week, as described in “Previews of Coming Attractions.” Dr. Mann had requested art ther-
apy primarily for Mrs. Lord, who was so well defended that it was hard to get past her glib
rationalizations in verbal psychotherapy.
Figure 1.11 A later athlete by Jim.