The Symbolic Graphic Life-Line: Integrating the past and Present through Graphic Imagery

Abstract

This paper introduces an art therapy task, the symbolic graphic life-line, and its integration into group art therapy. The symbolic graphic life-line has been utilized in both long-term and short-term partial adult psychiatric facilities for several years. The use of time-lines or life-lines is not new to the mental health field and has been utilized for many years. The unique quality of this life-line is its ability to express feelings through an art task that creates a visual graph. The dual graphic and symbolic qualities inherent in this art task serve to stimulate client involvement in the group process. The visually expressed information has been found to be clinically therapeutic by suggesting treatment goals and by integrating the client's past and present feelings and thoughts in relation to memories, events, and milestones.

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