Parallel Pregnancies: The Impact on the Supervisory Relationship and Art Therapy Practice

Publication date: Available online 4 January 2019Source: The Arts in PsychotherapyAuthor(s): Rebecca D. Miller, Jade A. GiffinAbstractThis paper explores a unique circumstance of simultaneous pregnancy within an art therapy supervisory relationship and the impact of the supervisee therapist’s pregnancy on treatment with adolescents in art therapy. At the time of their parallel pregnancy journey, the co-authors served as art therapists, with the first author supervising the second author, at a residential treatment facility for adolescents with histories of severe trauma, abuse, and neglect. Literature reveals a dearth of scholarly focus to the topic of the art therapist’s pregnancy, as well as to the impact of pregnancy on the clinical supervision relationship within the psychotherapy literature generally. Therefore, the authors emphasize a reflective developmental model of supervision in which support, mutual inquiry, and education were critical in navigating the unique challenges presented specific to the three trimester stages of pregnancy. Special attention is paid to practical issues, such as pregnancy disclosure, managing boundaries both with clients and in supervision, and maintaining self-care. Two case examples illustrate the impact of the supervisee therapist’s pregnancy on relational dynamics with adolescents and client artwork. As women comprise the majority of practicing art therapists, the authors conclude that there may be a critical need for increased re...

Source: Arts in Psychotherapy - January 5, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research