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Phototherapy with disadvantaged boys

1983; Elsevier BV; Volume: 10; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0197-4556(83)90022-9

1873-5878

Sarah Anne Milford, Jerry L. Fryrear, Paul R. Swank,

Social Representations and Identity

The use of photography as an adjunct to psychotherapy is a new and evolving discipline known as phototherapy. Although photographs are used many different ways in therapy (Krauss & Fryrear, 1983) one strong case for the use of phototherapy is to provide a confrontation with self. Photographic self-confrontation provides the client with visual information about the self as an object. The information can be in the form of still photos, film, videotape playback, or even mirrors. The rationale is that this visual information will correct misperceptions, force reconceptualizations, or enhance the esteem in which the observing self hoids the objective self. Social, family, physical. and other attributes can be captured on film or tape and used in confrontive ways. Whether the self-confrontation is therapeutic depends on the selection of the client. the selection of attributes to confront, and the methods ‘of confrontation used. Self-confrontation is not automatically or necessarily therapeutic. Regardless of the specific technique, the provision of a visual display of one’s self virtually demands that one observe one’s self. Danet (1968), speaking of video replay, states that now patients can not only see themselves as others see them, but can react to their own behavior in a way similar to that of others with whom they have interacted. Self-reaction provides them with still more information. Family phototherapists (e.g., Kaslow, 1979; Entin. 1983) may rely on historical photographs from the client’s family album for confrontational purposes. The album is rich in diagnostic information relative to family self-concepts and family system dynamics. By using the historical photographs, the family album method also allows the client to observe the family self-concept and selfesteem process over possibly several years in the supportive atmosphere of the therapy room. Other family phototherapists (e.g., Ruben, 1978) prefer to photograph or videotape the family as the members interact in the therapy session. This visual information provides the client with elaborate data concerning his/her family self-concept and self-esteem, relative to the other family members. For example, a client may notice that he always looks down when father speaks to him, an indication of lowered setfesteem when in the father‘s presence. This data may contradict the client’s statements or even beliefs about his relationship to the father. and lead to a more honest assessment of the family self-esteem and then to strategies for enhancing that self-esteem. Other phototherapists (Fryrear, 1983) who have less of an orientation toward family therapy and more toward the individual are likely to use visual methods directly in the therapy sessions with individual clients or groups. There are several reasons why visuaf selfconfrontation is or can be therapeutic. One is that a client simply may not know what he/she looks like, and the visual self-confrontation pro-