The Clinical Use of Photography: A Single Case, Multimethod Study of the Therapeutic Process

Abstract

Abstract. This single case study aimed at evaluating the use of a photographic technique (i.e., Spectro Cards) within an eight-session clinical intervention based on the Brief, Intermittent Psychotherapy model developed by Nicholas Cummings (1990). We hypothesized that the use of photography may increase the patient's Referential Activity (RA), facilitating the linking process between the nonverbal experience and the verbal code. Linguistic analysis of the discursive production of a 36-year-old female patient was conducted according to two different strategies: Measurement of the RA according to the coding system developed by Wilma Bucci (1997aBucci ( , 1997b, and textual-linguistic analysis supported by the software T-LAB. Our findings revealed that the use of Spectro Cards during each psychotherapeutic session yielded significant changes in the patient's language, in terms of greater RA values, richer discursive production, and a switch of language focus from physical pain to psychological pain.

Constructing positive narrative identities in a forensic setting: a single case evaluation of phototherapy

“…In particular, the present paper provides support to the idea that photographic stimuli might facilitate the access to a symbolic register, thus aiding self-reflection and growth (Saita et al, 2014). Photos gave this inmate a chance to explore new identities, create a narration of his own life in which different periods and events could be connected, and envision a new future after release, while embracing a wider perspective on himself.…”

“…Photos have been proven to promote discursive production, facilitating the access to a symbolic languagesimilar to that of the unconsciousand the communication of emotions that could not be expressed in any other form (Clark and Loewenthal, 2013;Loewenthal, 2013a;Loewenthal et al, 2017;Saita et al, 2014). Looking at pictures not only provides clients with a "physical" and "solid" base to start their narration, thus reducing anxiety and favouring "grounding" (Kopytin, 2004), it also gives them a new starting point from which to reconstruct their life stories and integrate their past, present and future (Halkola, 2013).…”

The therapeutic use of photographs in the United Kingdom criminal justice system

“…It appeared particularly helpful to those who might usually have difficulty in expressing their concerns because of what photographs are able to elicit for them, and that inmates are able to be actively involved in the process. As suggested by Bucci (1999) and Saita, Parrella, Facchin and Iterlli (2014), humans do not function using only a verbal code: the use of photos facilitates more complex linking processes between the non-verbal and the verbal systems that could not be spontaneously engaged by the person. In the UK, the main disadvantage of using photocards in brief counselling and psychotherapy was that occasionally a client expressed too much too soon.…”

Navigating the complexity of the therapeutic and clinical use of photography in psychosocial settings: a review of the literature

“…The name of this technique ( projectives) derives from the belief that the meaning assigned to the picture results from a projective process initiated by the client. Among these articles (Loewenthal, 2015 ; Loewenthal et al , 2016 ; Saita et al , 2014 ) we can list a case study of a younger female patient aimed at evaluating the changes in the terms used in the interaction with the provider after the introduction of the photographic stimulus (Saita et al , 2014 ). The authors concluded that the use of photographs can modify the way the individual processes emotional information, a conclusion supported by the fact that the verbal production of the patient changed from an exclusive focus on the somatic level ( I have an headache ) to the recognition of the underlying emotion ( I’m sad ), while the communication style of the subject remained concrete before and after the consultation (Saita et al , 2014 ).…”