The Materials Needed Include:
Crayola air-dry clay and the client’s hands.
The Goals Are:
1. Replacing irrational feelings of guilt and blame with realistic thoughts.
2. Look, act, and put words to emotions that the client feels stuck in.
Directives:
1. Build up a representation of sadness, anger, guilt that surrounds the client’s grief.
2. This representation will help better understand where the client might be stuck and be a way to open up about how to move forward.
3. After the clay model is built, have clients smash or squeeze work.
4. Have the client describe feelings that come up when this destruction occurs.
5. Therapists should prompt about coping tools that might help clients move forward.
6. Have clients move forward and build something that represents how they can learn through this process of grief and specific emotions they feel stuck at.
7. If clients want to keep one of the creations they can, and it can be kept out to dry and painted in another session.
8. Allow time to discuss the process.
9. Instruct the client to clean the art therapy area.
Adaptations & Safety: Air dry clay is easy to use in a therapy setting, but if the clay is available it can be used and fired in a kiln. When using clay be sure clients do not ingest or eat the materials. This process might bring up more emotions in clients and need to be monitored. The process of smashing clay could bring up other memories and therapists should work with clients for some time before implementing this art intervention.
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