Self-Esteem Heart

Expressive art can be a great tool for working with someone that has low self-esteem or body image issues. The self-esteem heart is a great activity for helping clients explore the causes and triggers of low self-esteem, as well as create a discussion around ways to cope.

Print out a picture of an anatomical heart, and have the client write down words that are related to their low self-esteem (i.e. hurtful names they've been called, negative self-talk, etc.) on the heart. I try to have clients come up with at least 5 words.

When they are finished writing, have the client cut out the heart and color it (make sure the words are still readable). After the heart is colored in, have them glue the heart to construction paper or card stock.

On another piece of paper (or to save paper, use the leftover paper that the heart was cut from) have the client write phrases, sentences, or words that can be coping mechanisms for or that challenge the negative words in the heart. Have them write at least enough positive or coping phrases for each vessel on the heart. Have the client glue each positive word or phrase coming out of the vessels (or out of the heart if they extras). The result will have those phrases flowing outwards of the heart vessels, symbolically releasing the negativity.

When I asked one client how she felt when she looked at her finished self-esteem heart, she said she felt a little better, but that all the words and negativity were still there. She felt like they were just floating around inside of her, and hadn't gone away. She was absolutely right; this one activity wouldn't shed her of all that hurt and make her love herself. I told her that there will always be people, or maybe even her own inner voice, that will try to keep these words surrounding her; that will try to make her become those words. But using her healthy coping tools, changing her inner voice, and continuing on the path towards healing will help her to get to a point that she can love herself. That she can feel confident. And eventually, she will be able to hear those words and know in her heart that they are not the truth.

Picture and idea inspired by Katarina Thorsen.

Trauma Masks

People experiencing trauma tend to feel one way on the inside, but display a totally different person on the outside. Trauma Masks are a great way for trauma survivors to illustrate that.

Give your client a blank mask outline. On the front side of the mask, have them illustrate how they feel others see them. On the back side of the mask, have them illustrate how they view themselves/how they feel inside. You can imagine the striking differences you’ll see!

Explore the differences on the masks together and discuss the meaning of any pictures or words they used. Try asking about the feelings they have when they look at the masks. You may get a lot more insight into the person than you ever would have expected!

 Picture from here.

Focus Card

My client was sexually abused for several years and used dissociation as a coping mechanism. For the past couple has been going into more detail about the sexual abuse she experienced, and as a result she found that she’s been more spacey. I had her make a Focus Card to help ground her and this is the beautiful piece she created! I got the idea for it here. A Focus Card is defined as:

"A Focus Card has an image on it that helps you right now focus and be present. It is as simple as that; finding an image that emerges from being still and being inwardly focused that gives you visually what you need to feel centered, calm and present in your life. It takes strength to build resilience, inner peace and stillness in a world that is full of chaos and madness. This small card is a glimpse of stillness, a small oasis that can remind you that sanity is not far away. This calmness can carry you through the rest of the day and you can refer back to the image when you need to re-focus. It helps us to remember that not all of our life has to be calm, or in order. But small pockets of it can be, just like this small focus image. Starting small—and not expecting or trying to make all of your life manageable all of the time—is a sane way to live your life. There can be little spaces of calmness and sanity in the middle of the busyness of a day. Look for these spaces in your workday and home life."