How painting facilitated dance movement psychotherapy interventions for a visual artist suffering from schizophrenia: Taming tigers and butterflies

ABSTRACT

Twelve individual dance movement psychotherapy sessions were provided during a 3 month period to a professional visual artist suffering from schizophrenia, and drawing was incorporated. Therapist’s records were kept and paintings of patient and therapist were created after every session. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS), the Strategic Approach to Coping Scale (SACS) and Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) were completed at baseline and at the end of the study. Sessions ‘fed’ one another through the paintings, connecting the body experience to art and, through art, to her reality. This connection enabled her to express feelings and relate them to her needs towards better coping and resilience. At the end of the study, PANSS score remained low, SACS indicated that the patient’s attitude towards external factors became less extreme and LMA revealed reduced maladaptive movement behaviour and improved quality of movement reaching an almost normal level.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance movement psychotherapy
• artist
• schizophrenia
• coping
• resilience

Acknowledgments

This research study was part of the requirement for a Master’s degree from Codarts University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Special thanks to Dr Ditty Dokter for her advice and Dr. Rosemarie Samaritter for her important feedback.

The study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Notes on contributors

Spyridoula Karaferi

Spyridoula (Roula) Karaferi, is a dance movement psychotherapist (MDaT), performer and choreographer. She maintains an active choreographic practice and is artistic director of the OFF ART Collective, where she also offers classes and workshops on contemporary dance. She holds a Master's degree in dance movement psychotherapy from CODARTS University of the Arts in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She organizes and directs the international interdishiplinary arts festival OPEN NIGHTS and she is particularly interested in the application of dance movement psychotherapy working with professional artists as well as psychiatric and medical patients.

Maria N. Papaliagka (Papaliaga)

Maria N. Papaliagka (Papaliaga) is an Attending Psychiatrist at the Adult Psychiatric Department of the University General Hospital of Larissa, Greece, a nontenure lecturer in Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, and a participating educator and theses supervisor at various postgraduate programs in the University of Thessaly.

Konstantinos S. Bonotis

Konstantinos Bonotis is an Assistant professor of Psychiatry at the faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly. He is responsible for teaching Psychiatry, Medical Psychology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Social Psychiatry of the undergraduate studies. Moreover, he offers lectures at various postgraduate programs in the Faculty of Medicine. He is also supervisor and participates in Adisory Boards of several PhD Dissertations and Master Thesis.Mr Bonotis research interests cover topics related to etiopathology and treatment of psychiatric disorders, psychosomatic medicine and psychogeriatric, as illustrated in related international publications and conferences presentations.