The artwork and the art-making process offered an experiential space in which patients could experiment, act out, experience and portray. Before AT, their emotions were more uncontrolled or over- controlled, which resulted in feeling unsafe.
The patients learned to cope with their emotions instead of being overwhelmed and unable to reframe or intervene effectively, as can be seen in the quote accompanying Image 3. Patients could organise feelings and thoughts during AT because the process of creating art demands structure of perception and thoughts. As a result of
the improve- ment in their emotion-regulation skills, they felt more confident
that they could guard their own sense of security.