Sometimes it's really hard to talk about how you're feeling. I am forever in search of different creative outlets to use with patients so they can express what they are experiencing. PlayDoh is a favorite of mine, as well as syringe painting, but I like to fill my arsenal of ideas with different creative modalities as well. I swiped Emotion Pie from the far corners of the internet a few years ago and love pulling it out with patients, especially older teens, that aren't super into conversation. In this particular instance I worked with a young adult who has a chronic health condition and whom was also very interested in arts & crafts. The teen was obviously way more artistically inclined than I will ever be.
I tend to engage in creative projects like this with the patient, doing so allows me to maintain an active presence with them but in a non-threatening manner. Sometimes I've sat and independently worked alongside a patient not talking at all, and other times the quiet concentration of the activity has encouraged the child/teen to engage in conversation about whatever crosses their mind. It's so great to have the distraction going so that no one feels obligated to speak in order to avoid awkward silence.
The point of Emotion Pie is to select different emotions one feels and draw that feeling instead of having to describe it with words. What I love so much about this project is that the viewer can get a sense of how drastic emotional changes can be for that child. This particular patient was able to show more about their experience of these feelings with their pie slices than they were able to verbalize with words. It's empowering to give patients a tool to use for expression when maybe they don't have the words to do it otherwise. What is also incredible to me is how I have done this project with multiple patients, and though many of the emotions named are the same I have never had the drawings be similar. Everyone's experiences are different, this understanding has helped me grow as a Child Life Specialist. What projects do you use, or hope to use, to engage patients in emotional expression?
-K
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