Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
14:32
Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Client perceptions of the Tree Theme Method™: a structured intervention based on storytelling and creative activities
A Birgitta Gunnarsson1, Kerstin Peterson, Christel Leufstadius
1Department of Health Sciences, Division of Occupational Therapy and Gerontology, Lund University, Sweden. birgitta.gunnarsson@ltkronoberg.se
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
|June 30, 2009
Summary
The Tree Theme Method (TTM) intervention helps clients express themselves through art and storytelling. This creative process fosters self-discovery and improves therapeutic relationships in mental healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Occupational Therapy
- Mental Healthcare
Background:
- The Tree Theme Method (TTM) is a creative intervention involving life storytelling and painting trees to represent life periods.
- Client experiences and perceptions of the therapeutic relationship within TTM interventions require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore clients' subjective experiences participating in the TTM intervention.
- To understand clients' perceptions of the therapeutic relationship during TTM.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative content analysis of thematic interviews.
- Twenty clients from outpatient mental healthcare units participated post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Clients moved from performance pressure to focus and expression.
- Self-expression and life storytelling awakened memories and feelings, leading to new perspectives on self, life, and relationships.
- Therapeutic interaction and therapist attitude were crucial for reconstructing life stories and developing the therapeutic relationship.
Conclusions:
- The TTM intervention is closely associated with the therapeutic relationship, facilitating a process of opening new perspectives.
- Further research is needed, including therapists' experiences with TTM and their views on the client-therapist relationship.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Creative Thinking
Creative thinking encompasses innovative and unconventional methods for addressing challenges, often leading to groundbreaking solutions. Instead of focusing solely on enhancing existing systems, such as increasing smartphone battery capacity, creative thinking might inspire advancements like energy-efficient batteries or processors that minimize power consumption. This multidimensional approach underscores the importance of exploring novel pathways to innovation.
Divergent thinking is the...
Divergent thinking is the...
01:30Community Based Intervention
Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
01:19Survival Tree
Survival trees are a non-parametric method used in survival analysis to model the relationship between a set of covariates and the time until an event of interest occurs, often referred to as the "time-to-event" or "survival time." This method is particularly useful when dealing with censored data, where the event has not occurred for some individuals by the end of the study period, or when the exact time of the event is unknown.
Building a Survival Tree
Constructing a survival tree begins...
Building a Survival Tree
Constructing a survival tree begins...
01:30Family Therapy
Family therapy conceptualizes psychological challenges as arising from dysfunctional interactions within the family unit, rather than as isolated issues within individuals. This approach seeks to address and transform the patterns of communication, roles, and relationships within families to promote healthier dynamics and emotional well-being for all members.
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy emphasizes resolving communication barriers and improving problem-solving abilities...
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy emphasizes resolving communication barriers and improving problem-solving abilities...
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:21Cognitive Learning
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...