Psychological collages: how do they work? Psychotechnical games and exercises Collage technique in training

Sections: School psychological service

Target: Development of communication abilities: learn to show and express your thoughts and feelings in a team, learn the ability to negotiate, discuss the idea of work.

Duration 1 hour 40 minutes.

"Presentation" (10 min.)
“Yes-No” (5-7 min.)
"Queue" (15-20 min.)
“Collage” (15-20 min.)
“Feelings” (15-20 min.)
“Say something nice” (10-15 min.)
“Training discussion” feedback (10-15 min.)

Time: 10 minutes.

Target: introduction of the group of training participants, positive attitude to work.

Participants form two circles, inner and outer, face each other, the facilitator invites participants to ask any questions of interest. At the command of the leader, the inner circle moves, moving to the next participant.

The group members sit in a circle and, starting with the leader, present their image to the group.

The presenter suggests: try in one or two phrases, using gestures and posture to introduce yourself to the group, what kind of person do you feel and how would you like the group to perceive you?

Discussion:

2. Exercise “Yes-No”

Time: 5-7 minutes.

Target: increasing the overall tone of the group.

Participants are divided into two equal subgroups, stand opposite each other and, at the command of the leader, one group shouts out the words YES, the other NO.

The winner is the group that managed to quickly unite, more consolidated and loudly pronounce its word.

3. Exercise “Queue”

Time: 15-20 minutes.

Target: development of direct communicative behavior.

8 people are selected from the group, of which 1 person is the driver, 7 people stand one after another (in line) and the eighth must go to the store counter without queuing. He strikes up a conversation with everyone standing, trying to achieve his goal. The “queue” has a game task not to miss “Sassy” for purchase.

The rest of the group sits down and watches.

Each communicative and meaningful moment of the game is analyzed: which of those standing in line gave in and who did not miss the “impudent”, what means were used by the driver (request, threat, blackmail)

4. Exercise “Collage”

Time: 20-30 minutes

Target: Development of personal and group activity, formation of creative thinking.

Using a draw, the group is divided into 4 subgroups. Each person receives a task and completes it together within 10-15 minutes.

Leading: Today we will make collages on different topics related to the present and future class.

Themes:

Our class;
Change is a time of rest;
The future of our class;
What we really are;

Discussion of collages and the progress of work on them. What did you like about the group’s work, what difficulties arose, how did you overcome them?

Issues for discussion:

5. Exercise “Feelings”

Time: 15-20 minutes.

Target: Ability to express emotions and feelings in a team.

All participants are divided into subgroups of 5-6 people.

The leader distributes cards to each subgroup that indicate human emotions:

joy;
anger;
indifference;
disappointment;
indignation;
disturbance;
support;
interest;

Each subgroup that received a card must prepare a short speech in front of the rest of the training participants, describing the situation at school in which the use of these feelings would be appropriate (appropriate).

6. Exercise “Say something nice”

Time: 10-15 minutes.

Target: end classes on a positive note.

Leading: invites all training participants to thank each other for their work. (the leader starts first, then everyone else goes around in a circle).

Each participant must different ways, but kindly thank the members of your group.

7. Discussion of the training (feedback)

Time: 10-15 minutes.

Questions:

How did you feel about the topic of our training, do you think this topic is relevant in school?
What didn't you like? Why?

Progress of the training

Composition of the group: 10-12 people.

Materials: A3 paper, colored pencils, magazines, glue, scissors, ball, cards with topics (see. Appendix 1, Appendix 2).

Conditions: Spacious room, 3 tables, chairs according to the number of participants.

Dear participants, today we will act in game situations and discuss our actions.

1. Exercise “Circle of acquaintances”, “Presentation”

I will ask you to divide into two equal subgroups. We need to organize two circles, internal and external. Stand facing each other, you can ask questions of interest to your colleagues, then, on my command, the inner circle moves clockwise to the next participant.

Let's sit in a circle and in one or two phrases, using gestures and posture, help yourself introduce yourself to the group, what kind of person do you feel and how would you like the group to perceive you?

Discussion:

– Whose performance did you find most vivid and memorable?

– Which performance was the most original and unexpected for you?

Let's continue!

2. Exercise “Yes-No”

We need to divide into two equal subgroups and stand opposite each other. Fine! The task is this: on my command, this one (I show with my hand) shouts out the word YES, and this command shouts out the word NO. The group that manages to pronounce its word more loudly and unanimously will win. Do you remember? Let's start!

Well, I think that both groups managed to become a real team! Amazing! You are just great

3. Exercise “Queue”

We need 8 people, anyone interested in playing?

Great! 7 – person imagine that you have been standing in line at the store for a long time, everyone is very tired, many are in a hurry, they are late. And this citizen (pointing to the 8th participant) wants to go to the store counter without queuing. Your game task is not to miss the “impudent” purchase. And your task (addressing the 8th participant) is to strike up a conversation with everyone standing in line, to try by any means to achieve your goal.

The rest (training participants) please take a seat and watch!

Then there is a general discussion.

Fine! Thank you everyone, please have a seat!

Tell me, what means were used (I name the name of the 8th participant) to achieve the goal (request, threat, blackmail, etc.)?

Who reacted how (from the queue)?

What methods of achieving the goal were effective?

We are doing well! Let's continue!

4. Exercise “Collage”

Please, let's divide into groups of 5-6 people . Today we will make collages on various topics related to the present and future class. Give each subgroup a card with the task:

Our class;
Change is a time of rest;
The future of our class;
What we really are;

After completing the assignment, you will need to present your work!

Distribute A3 paper, magazines, glue, scissors. You are given 10-15 minutes to complete the task.

Great! Who's ready? (each group presents their work)

Thank you very much, please take a seat. (also in subgroups)

What did you like about the group’s work, what difficulties arose, how did you overcome them?

Issues for discussion:

How do you feel about the theme of your collage?
What main idea did you want to express in the collage?
Evaluate the activity of each group member. How were the roles distributed in the group when preparing the collage?
Did you like this type of work?

5. Exercise “Feelings”

Now I will distribute cards to each subgroup that depict human emotions.

Each group that received a card must prepare a short speech in front of the other participants, describing a situation at school in which the use of these feelings would be appropriate (appropriate).

Other members of the group complement each performance of their colleagues.

You are given 5-7 minutes to prepare the task.

Thank you very much, please have a seat.

6. Exercise “Say something nice”

I invite all participants to thank each other for their work. Each participant should thank the members of his group in different ways, but kindly.

(I start first, then everyone else in a circle, pass the ball)

Thanks everyone for your work! You are just great! Today everyone was active and quickly completed their tasks. Special thanks to…. For resourcefulness, for artistry,

I hope that you will also come to the next lesson with the desire to work! (pass the ball around)

7. Discussion of the training (feedback)

And now, dear friends, let's return to our reality.

Let us remember that the wonderful time of adolescence is already behind us. And we are all engaged in a noble and at the same time responsible business. We work with children, helping them cope with difficulties.

Dear Colleagues! Let's say a few words about that:

How do you feel about the topic of our training, do you think this topic is relevant in school?
Which exercise did you like best? Why?
Rate your activity in the training on a five-point scale.
What didn't you like? Why?

Many thanks to everyone for their work! Until next time!

Exercise “Burning Candle”

Purpose: for relaxation, relieving anxiety.

The relaxing property of exhalation is used when breathing with a burning candle. Place a lit candle on the table and sit in front of it so that the flame is 15-20 cm from your lips. Round your lips and exhale slowly into the candle flame. Do not put out the fire, but deflect it with a gentle, slow, strong stream of air. Try to blow so that the angle of the flame is the same from the beginning of the exhalation to its complete completion. Do this exercise for five minutes. In this way, you will learn a smooth, long, relaxing exhalation, which will “take out” all the accumulated mental “garbage” from you and burn in the flame of a candle, freeing you from everything that prevents you from being free and calm.

Exercise “Resource state”

Goal: increasing confidence.

The most reliable source of resource is yourself, because everything you need has already been in you for a long time. It is only important to be able to take advantage of it in time. The technology for updating resource states provides such an opportunity. Let's say you see that to perform optimally, you need a sense of confidence. Think of a situation in which you always feel confident: driving your bike, tennis court or somewhere else. It doesn't matter what the memory is. The main thing is that in this moment it is positive and strong for you. Experience it again in its entirety, as if it were all happening now. Feel confident and strong. With this feeling, enter a stressful situation and act based on your confidence. Act on the basis that what is in the foreground is no longer the drama, but the existing chance to cope with it. Use it. A victory brings a sense of pride in oneself, a sense of strength and the ability to respond to a serious challenge. Your self-confidence increases and you discover that you have enough strength to endure any challenge that comes your way. Using the technique of updating resource states, you can call upon any feeling you need to help you: calmness, competence, concentration, endurance, and so on. All you have to do is take it from where you had it and move it to where you need it now. If you do not have experience of experiencing the desired feeling, use the technique as if you are mastering this feeling. The only thing you can do without, for example, courage, is pretend to be courageous, and coordinate your behavior with it. You can also borrow the required resource from your hero by imitating his behavior.

Exercise “Sculpture of state (mood)”

Goal: promoting the formation of self-control skills.

Necessary materials: wire (any kind you can find), wire cutters.

Progress:

Make a sculpture of your state (mood) from wire, come up with a name and legend (what, where, why, etc.).

Exhibition-presentation of sculptures. The classroom space is organized in such a way that teenagers can choose a convenient place for their sculpture, place it there and put up a sign with the name. The presenter glues blank pieces of paper next to the sculptures. The task of the group members is to walk around the “museum” and sign the names of each sculpture (their associations). As a result, a list of names for each sculpture should appear on each blank piece of paper. Then the whole group goes on an excursion. When the group stops near the sculpture, its author presents his work, telling what mood it reflects, as they say, the legend, as well as his thoughts about the associations of the group written on the piece of paper.

Discussion:

Participants share their impressions of the work and the exhibition and express their feelings. If any of the participants did Bad mood or a destructive condition and would like to get rid of it, suggest that he change the sculpture, remove or add something.

To complicate the task, invite teenagers to make not one, but several sculptures that will reflect contradictory states (moods). You can have a dialogue between the sculptures, agree on something, etc.

Exercise “Review of Relationships”

Draw yourself and the people around you in your life symbolically, in the form of circles.

Draw arrows from you to other people and from them to you.

Indicate what exactly you give to others, and what they give to you. It can be anything: feelings, objects, phenomena, actions.

Label these arrows.

Also draw arrows indicating what you are giving not to these people, but to the rest of the world around you, and also draw the same signs from other people: what they are giving not to you, but to other people.

Now look at your drawing and answer the questions:

With whom and how do you contact: with whom more, with whom less?

From whom do you get more? From whom - less?

Who do you give more to? And who has less?

What is common, what patterns do you see?

Do you avoid contact with anyone? Why?

Did you want contact with anyone? Why?

Do you avoid anyone's desire to contact you? Why?

Did you want anyone else to contact you?

Are you getting everything you need from others?

Are you able to release into the environment everything you want to give away and everything you don’t need?

Now draw a long line of needs for contact, one end of which corresponds to complete avoidance of contact, and the other - a complete and continuous desire for contact.

Answer the following questions:

Where would you place yourself on this line?

By what signs of your life and events do you know that you are in this particular place on this line?

Where would you like to be located?

By what signs can you know that you have arrived at what you would like to achieve?

Exercise “Living space”

You will need a blank sheet of paper, a pencil and colored pencils or markers.

Draw a circle, and, dividing the area of the circle into sectors, indicate the areas of activity of your life. For example, raising children, work, hobbies, sports, the Internet, etc.

Divide the area of the circle into areas of activity in percentage. Take all your time for 100%.

Now color each activity area in the color that you think best suits it.

Answer the questions and write down your answers:

Was the picture colorful?

What do you mainly spend your time on?

Are you satisfied with everything in this scheme?

What would you like to change?

Now take a new clean sheet and organize your living space the way you want, with all the “I want” and “I don’t want.”

Give free rein to your imagination, and it doesn’t matter that “.... this will never happen in my life.”

Create for yourself the conditions that are important to you, at least on a piece of paper.

Exercise “Beliefs”

When you have a problem in business or in life and you feel fear, despair, powerlessness or something similar, ask yourself the following questions out loud, answering them also out loud:

What does it mean for me... (insert problem you are facing here)? (The answer to this question is precisely a negative belief that needs to be dealt with.)

Why do I think this?

Is this really true?

What would happen if I didn’t believe in it?

What can I learn from this?

Answering these questions will help you neutralize negative beliefs.

Exercise “Enabling Positive Motivation”

Goal: developing skills for expressing emotions that contribute to the process of professional adaptation.

The trainer invites participants to take a comfortable position, close their eyes and relax; focus on your feelings.

Next, the trainer asks a question for everyone: “What makes your life interesting (joyful, creative, etc.)? What is the “trigger” for interest (joy, creativity, etc.) in your life?”

After some time (5-7 minutes), given for individual visualization of a given topic and getting out of a state of relaxation, the trainer invites participants to discuss the results in a group.

Exercise "Collage"

Goal: revealing a person’s potential, involves a greater degree of freedom, is effective method work with the individual is based on positive emotional experiences associated with the creative process. In addition, when making a collage, there is no tension associated with the lack of artistic ability of the participants; this technique allows everyone to achieve a successful result. Collaging allows us to determine the current psychological state of a person, to identify the current content of his self-awareness, his personal experiences.

It is effective to include in the collage drawings, personal photographs of the participants, the authors of which they are, or in which they are depicted, as well as the use of collage in performance and installation.

The theme for creating a collage can be different depending on the needs of the group (“Man and woman”, “body”, “I”, “past - present - future”, etc.)

The material for a collage can be glossy magazines, various images, photographs, natural materials, objects made or transformed by its creators.

Instructions: cut out figures of people, animals, etc. from magazines, and then arrange them into a composition. You can do whatever you want with the elements, you can supplement the work with inscriptions, comments, paint over and decorate empty spaces, be concrete or abstract.

Collage analysis: arrangement of elements on the sheet, size of the elements, their location relative to other elements, reasons for choosing one or another element, elements fit together, complement the general idea of the collage, the general plot can be traced.

Target: to more clearly form for yourself images of what you want in order to more accurately guide the subconscious to the desired goal.

Materials: a sheet of A4 paper, felt-tip pens, materials for making a collage: newspapers, magazines, postcards, paints, pencils, felt-tip pens, PVA glue, scissors, music player, music records.

Procedure:

1. Think about what you dream about in different areas of life. Please note: at least these 5 areas must be taken into account: relationships, family, material sphere, self-realization, health.

Analyze in which area you have the maximum number of gaps: the most dreams will be connected with it. But don't forget about the rest.

2. Now, from different pictures, create a collage that reflects this. If you don’t find a suitable illustration, draw what’s missing. Give the finished piece a title.

Issues for discussion:

Now do you understand where you are going?

Ask yourself often: how does what I am doing at this moment bring me closer to my dream?

Do you like how it turned out?

If something confuses you, think about how to change it?

Evening

Bedtime story

Evgeniy Klyuev “Tear-off Calendar”.
The Tear-off Calendar had everything calculated: one sheet for each day. And in total, therefore, there are three hundred and sixty-five sheets - exactly the same number as there are days in the year. And they also hung it carefully: strictly in the middle of the wall.
“A place of honor...” thought the Tear-off Calendar and even became a little embarrassed.
And anyone in his place would be embarrassed: is it a joke to hang in front of everyone! Whether you like it or not, you will have to take care of yourself.
Within a few minutes, the Tear-off Calendar became acquainted with the inhabitants of the apartment: there were many of them - and they were so different! Everyone greeted him cordially and introduced themselves. Every time the Tear-off Calendar said: “Very nice!” – and also introduced himself in response. With them he had to live a long and interesting life, which, of course, made the Tear-off Calendar terribly happy - and this joy was directly written on his face.
“Let me read what’s written on your face,” the Picture-from-the-Opposite-Wall looked closer at him and read: “Joy.” And for what reason is there joy? – she asked.
“About life,” the Tear-off Calendar answered readily. - Long and interesting life.
– Long and interesting? – the Picture-from-the-Opposite-Wall laughed. – Life is short and boring!

The Tear-off Calendar wanted to argue that if life is really short and boring, then why, they say, live it... but he remained silent: he still didn’t know enough about life to insist.
And in the morning next day the first leaf was torn from it - the first of January was as if it had never happened! And so his life moved forward - day after day: the second of January, the third, the fourth... February, March. And every day was full of events that he had to remind everyone in the house about. Two days ago, for example, it was the first day of spring - the most important event of the year!
“Sorry if this is too personal a question,” the Thick Cookbook addressed him one day in April, “but what is your diet?”
- What is my... what? – the Tear-off Calendar was surprised. The Tear-off Calendar did not notice that he was losing weight before his eyes. And when was it noticed? He liked life so much and seemed so long and interesting that the days flew by completely unnoticed!
– He simply leads the wrong lifestyle! – Lazy Chair intervened.
- How is this possible? – the Tear-off Calendar was puzzled.
- Yes, so... you waste your life left and right - and that’s why you’re losing weight! Meanwhile, life is short and boring - it must be protected.
The Tear-off Calendar wanted to argue that if life is really short and boring, then why should it be protected... but he kept silent: he still didn’t know enough about life to insist.
And she, meanwhile, walked and walked - there was more than enough to do! And the days were getting shorter: one minute was lost from the daylight hours, then two, three... and this also had to be constantly reminded - so that everyone had time to use vacations and holidays until the last minute. And on the first of September, the children still had to remember to go to school... Oh, how diverse it is,
This life is so long and interesting!

DAY 6.

Morning

Dance with benefit

The main goal of dance and movement therapy is to gain feeling and awareness of one’s own “I”. People turn to a therapist who works according to this method because they, being alienated from the body, do not feel integrated. In our modern culture, we often treat the body as a thing, an object. We have learned to control the body, give it certain forms, a certain appearance, restrain it, and we think that it will remain unresponsive. Dance therapy invites the body to talk, giving it the opportunity to speak out. Dance therapy sees the body as an evolving process. The body and consciousness are considered as equal forces. This therapy is more interested in how movement feels than what it looks like.

Joan Smallwood identified three components of the therapeutic process when conducting dance therapy:

Awareness (of body parts, breathing, feelings, images, non-verbal “double messages” (when there is dissonance between a person’s verbal and non-verbal message).

Increasing the expressiveness of movements (development of flexibility, spontaneity, diversity of movement elements, including factors of time, space and force of movement, defining the boundaries of one’s movement and expanding them).

Authentic movement (spontaneous, dance-movement improvisation, coming from an internal sensation, including the experience of experiences and feelings and leading to personality integration).

Alexandra Karelina
Training for teachers “Art therapy as a means of preserving the health of teachers”

Training for teachers

“Art therapy as means of preservation

teachers' health»

Teacher - psychologist:

Karelina A. N.

Art therapy is a way to work with the soul through creativity.

Art therapy allows a person to free himself from pressures, relax, remove inhibitions, and be free. It is in this state of returning to oneself that strength is drawn for further creative growth. The main thing is to allow yourself to meet your own strength, have quality rest and learn something new and interesting about yourself, people and the world as a whole.

The goal is to improve physical and emotional well-being teacher, i.e., help relieve chronic fatigue and emotional emptiness, as well as open up creative potential, increase productivity and strengthen a positive attitude towards the profession.

The duration of one meeting with a group is 30 - 45 minutes

Basic rules for working in a group

Have fun!

Allow yourself to be free!

Friendly intonation and attitude towards everyone.

Everyone's attention is on the speaker.

Avoid ratings and judgments.

Talk only about your own feelings, sensations, moods.

Look for and find the positive in everything.

1. Exercise "Ball" (7-10 min)

Target: Warming up, including all participants in the work. Increasing the tone of the group.

Materials: balloon.

Instructions: All participants stand in a circle. Psychologist: “Today in class we will play with balloons. I propose to start with this balloon - the presenter is holding one balloon in his hands.

-Now we will pass it around in a circle, but with one condition: you can do this using only your elbows (squeezing the ball with your elbows, you cannot help with your hands. So, let’s start. The second circle passes the ball only with your feet (squeezing the ball with your knees). Third circle: the ball is passed using the head (the ball presses its head to the shoulder).

2. Exercise "State Drawing"

Target: It stimulates creativity and awareness of feelings, and helps group members get to know each other better. It can also serve as diagnostic material, and can also be used at the end of the session to analyze changes. This exercise is advisable to begin classes in art therapy groups.

Materials: Paper, colored pencils, chalk, paints.

In any case, trust your internal sensations and try to discover information for yourself in your work.

3. Exercise "Group drawing in a circle"

On a sheet of paper you need to draw a simple picture or just spots of color, and then pass the baton to the next participant to continue the drawing. As a result, each drawing returns to its original author. After completing this task, the original concept is discussed. Participants talk about their feelings. Collective drawings can be attached to wall: a kind of exhibition is being created. This technique can reveal strong contradictions in the group process and cause aggressive feelings and resentment. That's why art therapist must warn participants to treat each other’s work with care.

4. Exercise "Beautiful garden"

Participants sit in a circle. The presenter suggests sitting quietly, you can close your eyes, and imagine yourself as a flower. What would you be like? What leaves, stem, and maybe thorns? High or low? Bright or not very bright? Now, after everyone has presented this, draw your flower. Everyone is given paper, markers, and crayons.

Next, participants are invited to cut out their own flower. Then everyone sits in a circle. The presenter spreads a cloth of any fabric, preferably plain, inside the circle, and distributes a pin to each participant. The fabric is declared to be a garden clearing that needs to be planted with flowers. All participants take turns coming out and attaching their flower.

Discussion: You are invited to admire "beautiful garden", capture this picture in your memory so that it shares its positive energy. Notice that although there were many flowers, there was enough space for everyone, everyone took only their own, the one they chose. See what different, different flowers yours is surrounded by. But there is also something in common - some have the color, others the size or shape of the leaves. And all flowers, without exception, need sun and attention.

Psychological meaning of the exercise

Art therapy itself is a very powerful tool that is used for psychological correction and serves to explore feelings, develop interpersonal skills and relationships, strengthen self-esteem and self-confidence. In this case, the exercise allows you to understand and feel yourself, be yourself, express your thoughts and feelings freely, and also understand the uniqueness of everyone, see the place you occupy in the diversity of this world and feel part of this beautiful world.

5. Exercise “Name three qualities that characterize me”. This exercise flows smoothly into next exercise collage "My inner world» .

6. Exercise collage "My inner world» .

Target: revealing a person’s potential, involves a greater degree of freedom, is an effective method of working with an individual, and is based on positive emotional experiences associated with the creative process. In addition, when making a collage, there is no tension associated with the lack of artistic ability of the participants; this technique allows everyone to achieve a successful result. Collaging allows us to determine the current psychological state of a person, to identify the current content of his self-awareness, his personal experiences.

The theme for creating a collage can be different depending on the needs of the group ( "Man and woman", "body", "I", "past present Future" and many more etc.)

The material for a collage can be glossy magazines, various images, photographs, natural materials, objects made or transformed by its creators.

Instructions: Cut out figures of people, animals, etc. from magazines, and then arrange them into a composition. You can do whatever you want with the elements, you can supplement the work with inscriptions, comments, paint over and decorate empty spaces, be concrete or abstract.

Collage analysis: the arrangement of elements on the sheet, the size of the elements, their location relative to other elements, the reasons for choosing one or another element, the elements fit together, complement the general idea of the collage, the general plot can be traced.

7. Exercise "Rank" (5-10 min.)

Target: team building. The exercise allows you to become aware of non-verbal facilities establishing contact, testing them in a safe group environment, testing your ability to establish contact in various situations, understand that when establishing contact there are no universal means and rules, and first of all, you need to focus on the person with whom you interact.

Progress of the exercise: participants line up By: growth; hair color; alphabet of names; foot size; zodiac sign, etc.

Instructions: “Now you have to line up according to eye color, from lightest to darkest. It is forbidden to talk during formation. So, let's start." 2 minutes are given to build. Then it is proposed to build according to hair color, from lightest to darkest. The conditions are the same. The last task is the most complex: line up in height with your eyes closed, without talking.

Issues for discussion:

How are you feeling now?

What did you like most?

Was it difficult for you to do the exercise?

8. Exercise "What I Learned"

A large sheet of paper is offered with the following unfinished proposals:

I learned.

I found out that.

I found confirmation that.

I found out that.

I was surprised by that.

I like that.

I was disappointed that.

The most important thing for me was.

Me today.

I invite you now to reflect on what you have gained from working in a group. Please complete any of the unfinished sentences of your choice,

Many have heard about the “Wish Card”, “Dream Collage” and “moodboards”. Often some kind of magic is expected from these practices. Like, it’s enough to paste a photograph of yourself in some pleasant environment onto a piece of Whatman paper, and almost nothing else needs to be done: Dear Universe everything will take care of itself, and the “law of attraction” will create such an environment around us without our efforts.

I very much doubt that this approach brings results. I am much closer to the idea that “Dreams don’t work until you work.”

Collage is an inherently projective technique. That is, when we compose images from magazines, we reflect the structure of our personality, our conscious goals and unconscious fears.

In general, any collage is a self-portrait. And if you learn to understand the language of collage (understand how to interpret images), then you can get a good tool for self-knowledge.

Each collage we create and deeply analyze is an individual strategy session that answers important questions.

The practice of collaging exists in several variants. Many people know that psychologists and coaches often ask clients to make a collage. This requires not only sheets of Whatman paper, scissors, glue, images from magazines - but also correctly formulated questions.

It's easy to understand how to create a collage: you take pictures and glue them in some order onto a large sheet of paper.
But not everyone understands what to do next with this collage. Meanwhile, analysis of the resulting mosaic image is probably a more important and useful part of the process than its creation.

Sometimes solutions to problems are literally reflected in the collage - you just need to learn to understand its “hints.” For example, if you are not sure whether to quit or move to another city, a collage will show all the nuances of the situation much more accurately than just a list of pros and cons.

Let's discuss six types of collage that are most often used in the work of psychologists. All of them can help you understand yourself, clarify your life situation, or find an answer to a difficult question.

Mood board

The simplest version of a psychological collage is “ mood board". (Do not confuse the “psychological” and “designer” versions of this technique. For designers and stylists, the “mood board” is a little different).

Done mood board It’s simple: take magazines of different subjects, cut out all the pictures you like or “catch”. Then you look through everything you cut out and select the most interesting ones - those that evoke the strongest feelings or that are associated with the most important ideas and associations. And then you glue it all onto the sheet, “as the hand takes it and the eye sees” - that is, spontaneously and intuitively creating a space in which all parts of the sheet more or less suit you.
That's it, creating a collage ends here.

Now the analysis.
When analyzing, pay attention to the location of the parts of the collage on the plane of the sheet (center - periphery, left-right edge, top-bottom).

It is generally believed that top part symbolically reflects more conscious images, the bottom of the sheet is closer to the unconscious; the right edge (for right-handers) is the future, the left is the past.

Color correspondences are also noted: objects that have the same color can be symbolically related to each other.

Of course, the main part of analysis is clarifying the symbols, clarifying the meaning of the images you have chosen. Look carefully at each picture you choose and write down your associations. Think about what these images mean and what they point to.

You can record your description of the collage on a voice recorder, then listen to it - and many things become more noticeable. When listening to an audio recording, pay attention to hesitations, pauses, and intonations of doubt in your story.

(If you now learn the principles of collage analysis, this will not prevent you from working. I myself analyze my collages and “catch” a lot of unexpected things, although I first started using this technique in 1998 and since then I have seen a lot of works - and my own , and strangers. Just don’t analyze while creating a collage, put it off until the end of the work, make a choice of pictures spontaneously).

“Balance collage” (this type of collage is also often called a “wish card”)

The second type of collage is similar to “ balance wheel«.

To create such a collage, on a large sheet of paper you need to pre-designate the areas responsible for key areas of life - such as family, work, home, money, love, discipleship and mentoring, etc.

Sometimes these areas of life are taken from Feng Shui and placed according to the cardinal directions or according to the Ba Gua principle. Since Feng Shui is a systematizing system, in meaning (not in appearance) it turns out very similar to the “balance wheel”. That is, Feng Shui is not here for mysticism, but rather for order.

After the areas are selected and their boundaries are drawn on the sheet, select the appropriate pictures and paste them within these boundaries.

Analysis : determine which images appear in different parts of the collage.
Since the meaning of the areas is known in advance, the analysis can also be carried out by a child. Determine which areas are dimmer and which are brighter. Which ones don’t look very harmonious, where there is a clearly indicated conflict, and where everything is beautiful and harmonious.

From this you can draw useful conclusions about life balance and the current situation.

Focused (thematic) collage

This practice is used to find the answer to one specific question.
Such a collage is created around a specific topic, around a pre-formulated question.

Here are examples of such questions:

What kind of job do I want for myself?
What might the house I would like to live in look like?
How do I imagine myself as a happy family?
How can I earn more money?

The technique of creating a collage is the same as if you were making a moodboard.

The questions correspond to your pressing problems at the moment.

You know the question, but you don't know the answer. With this approach, collage becomes like a wise advisor or a way of fortune telling.

You get the answer while you are making the collage. It is difficult to say exactly how to interpret. This is largely an intuitive process.

Looking at such a collage, we can guess about some non-obvious aspects of the situation, receive hints from our unconscious, as from a mentor. Oddly enough, it actually works.

Motivational collage

Here you also have a problem, but, unlike the previous situation, you even guess how to solve it.

You just lack determination or patience, you retreat or are afraid. Then the collage becomes simply a “reminder”, a tool that encourages and encourages the desired behavior.

I made such a collage, for example, nine years ago - at the moment when I quite unexpectedly had to become the head of a department. I was not ready for such a turn of events at that period of my life. I needed special “reminders” to keep my morale up on days when things were too difficult.

That collage was full of bold and vibrant images, even though I myself was at times tired, confused and unsupported. But the collage hung on the wall, I sometimes looked at it, and it helped me remember that in fact I understand quite clearly what needs to be done. And this gave new strength.

After two months, the collage could be removed from the wall; it was no longer really needed.

Collage-self-presentation, collage-statement

This tool is similar to the previous one, but we do it not so much for ourselves, but in order to show something more clearly to others.

For example, when working with a married couple, a psychologist can ask everyone in the couple to make their own collage on the topic “our relationship”, and then compare them. Or when a group works, the whole group makes one collage through joint efforts, and then all members of the group analyze it and everyone better understands their place in the common space and the general process.

Such collages are an expression of opinion, and they are addressed to the one who will look at them. Their analysis is also largely spontaneous and intuitive.

If you are analyzing a collage that is not your own, always listen very carefully to how the author of the collage explains it. You will have three rows of data. The first is how the collage looks. The second is how a person talks about him. And the third is inconsistencies between how something looks and how something is explained.

For example, you see a small figure of a woman in the lower left corner of the sheet, this woman is in a hunched position or surrounded by dangerous objects, and the author of the collage says that this is his beloved mother or beloved wife, with whom he has an excellent relationship and with whom everything is generally fine . As they say, there is a discrepancy. And this inconsistency needs to be noticed and analyzed.

"Collage of Intention"

In the previous five paragraphs, we discussed those types of collage that are most often found in psychological and art therapy work and in coaching. And now I want to write about why I myself have recently preferred to use a different modification of the collage technique.

I now prefer a practice that does not just state: “Yes, I want this,” but persistently pushes us, powerfully encourages us to go towards what we want, towards our dreams. This type of collage combines the advantages of a “focused collage” (provides answers) and a motivating collage (helps with decision making and encourages action).

This is about " collage of intentions «.

Here-and-now is a good thing when it comes to awareness, when we mean experiencing the present. But when we think, or plan, or make decisions, or allocate resources, or discuss something with colleagues, real change is achieved by focusing on the desired future, and not on the problems of the present or past.

And it is the “Intention Collage” practice that works best with the desired future, and not the “Dream Collage” or moodboard. After all, a dream is a fairly static image. This is a guiding star that shines and indicates the direction - and that’s all. And intention is our activity, this movement in the chosen direction, our own effort.

The dream “just exists,” but the intention has to be constantly realized.

Well, now - about how this practice is done - specifically and step by step.

There are three steps in total in the Intention Collage practice, and for the work you will need three large (at least A3) sheets of paper.

Preparation: decide which areas of life are most important to think about right now (for some it will be work, for others health or relationships, and so on). Identify five to seven such key areas for you.

First step. Use the first sheet. Create a collage on it that reflects the present (taking into account seven key areas). Embody the most plausible image of what currently exists in these areas.

Second step and the second leaf is the image of a dream. Create a collage on this sheet that most convincingly reflects the states and situations that you want to create in your life.

Third step and the third sheet. Arrange the past in relation to the future (there may be different options here - the main thing is to somehow “logically” and “beautifully” put the “leaf of the present” and the “dream” next to each other). Then take the third sheet and create an “image of the path” on it. In this third collage, reflect those actions, those efforts and that intention that will lead you from your current state to your dream.

Then staple and join all three sheets together.
Hang it on a vertical surface (on the wall) and carefully examine it from a distance of about one and a half to two meters.
Write down your feelings and thoughts.

Analysis
1) Pay attention Special attention on the symbolism of the location of the past and the future.
2) Pay main attention to the analysis of the third sheet (about the path).
3) As always, look for clues in the form of color matches. Pictures that have similar colors necessarily have an internal connection with each other. Understand what this connection is all about.
4) If there are words and phrases in the collage, pay very close attention to them. Conduct a session of free associations with them, write down the associations and analyze them as carefully as the images of a collage.

When analyzing, try using these questions (if you are making a collage yourself and have read this far, it is better not to read the questions now, but to make a collage first):

What is brighter - the area of the present, the area of dreams, the area of the path?
Which images dominate in each of the three areas? How do I feel about them? What do they mean to me? How do they interact with each other?
What movement do I see in the collage? Where does it come from, what does it come to? Which collage elements are the source of movement and change, which are passive, and which clearly resist movement? What does this correspond to in my life?
What strengths and resources do I see in each of the three areas?
Which ones are yours? weak sides and do I see limitations in each of the three areas?
Main question: Does the proposed “Path” really lead me from the “Now” state to the “Dream” state? If so, what specific actions do I need to take? If not, what do I need to change?
Write these actions down.

This completes the main part of the work with the collage; now it can be postponed for two or three days, and after this time, answer the same questions again. You will see that the answers may have changed (and this means that the collage has done its job: pushing you to realize some things).

Now all that remains is to move along the intended and seen path, which is what I sincerely wish for you.

In general, as you can see, you can handle the creation and analysis yourself.

If you have any questions related to the interpretation of the collage, ask them in the comments under this article. Let's discuss everything that remains unclear!