Psychological flexibility in art therapy: Practice-based research

Psychological flexibility is an important quality that is useful across diagnostic categories for enhancing mental health and wellness. This practice-based study investigated how psychological flexibility manifested over 10 individual art therapy sessions. Sixteen clients completed the Ulman Personality Assessment Procedure and art therapy as usual as well as the General Self-Efficacy Scale v2.0 and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. Based on the results of the measures, clients were categorized into high flexibility, low flexibility, and split flexibility groups. Qualitative analysis of these groups indicated different prevalent approaches to art making (high: shifting and meaning making, low and split: familiarity and constriction), including components of the Expressive Therapies Continuum. The study offers tentative indicators to recognize psychological flexibility in art therapy, which points to possible therapeutic factors and interventions. • Psychological flexibility is central to creative process and choices in art therapy. • High psychological flexibility in art therapy includes shifting and meaning making. • Low psychological flexibility in art therapy includes familiarity and constriction.