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The psychotherapeutics of online photosharing

The psychotherapeutics of online photosharing Advocates of phototherapy and therapeutic photography have emphasized the effectiveness of creating and viewing photographs as a process of self-insight and personal change (Krauss & Fryrear, 1983; Phillips, 2000; Weiser, 1999). While “phototherapy” involves a professional psychotherapist who encourages clients to work with their personal snapshots within the framework of formal therapy, “therapeutic photography” consists of photo-based activities that are conducted by the individual as a form of self-help (Weiser, 2009). Both endeavors are based on the same assumption: photographic images provide an interpretive media through which the unconscious can express itself more directly than by words alone. Closer to the language of primary process thinking, as in dreams and fantasy, visual images convey underlying thoughts, memories, and emotions while bypassing ego defenses (Suler, 1996). Many forms of art and expressive therapy are based on these same assumptions, although, as Weiser (2009) points out, art therapy involves visual creations constructed from memory and imagination, while phototherapy and therapeutic photography rely on the capture of scenes in the external world. With the advent of digital photography, the evolution of these therapeutic activities has reached a new stage. Digital photography has not only made it easy for almost anyone to http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies Wiley

The psychotherapeutics of online photosharing

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References (3)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN
1742-3341
eISSN
1556-9187
DOI
10.1002/aps.219
Publisher site
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Abstract

Advocates of phototherapy and therapeutic photography have emphasized the effectiveness of creating and viewing photographs as a process of self-insight and personal change (Krauss & Fryrear, 1983; Phillips, 2000; Weiser, 1999). While “phototherapy” involves a professional psychotherapist who encourages clients to work with their personal snapshots within the framework of formal therapy, “therapeutic photography” consists of photo-based activities that are conducted by the individual as a form of self-help (Weiser, 2009). Both endeavors are based on the same assumption: photographic images provide an interpretive media through which the unconscious can express itself more directly than by words alone. Closer to the language of primary process thinking, as in dreams and fantasy, visual images convey underlying thoughts, memories, and emotions while bypassing ego defenses (Suler, 1996). Many forms of art and expressive therapy are based on these same assumptions, although, as Weiser (2009) points out, art therapy involves visual creations constructed from memory and imagination, while phototherapy and therapeutic photography rely on the capture of scenes in the external world. With the advent of digital photography, the evolution of these therapeutic activities has reached a new stage. Digital photography has not only made it easy for almost anyone to

Journal

International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies – Wiley

Published: Dec 1, 2009

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