Conclusion
In the present study all authors found moments of increased epistemic trust, where art therapy remodelled deep perceptions of the self and others. The study pointed to that process being mediated not only through what was said but through both physical and interpersonal means. Trust was demonstrated to each other. David believed the genuineness of Neil's exploration because it was accurate and gestural, Neil believed Julie saw what he saw because her word ‘softer’ matched, though slightly altered, his experience. Julie believed Neil's view that the discussion was safe because he likewise both named it and thereby changed it. These processes built up in intensity over the group, not in single actions. This indicated the need to factor in the relationship between actions and not to just theorise those actions in isolation. Neurological attachment-based research in art therapy must involve considering the relationship of the two humans on either end of the interaction with art-objects if it is to capture attachment processes. The combination of diary and observational method developed a speculative hypothesis which could be used as a basis for oxytocin sampling. It would be useful to see how changes in levels of oxytocin matched the subjective experiences and phenomena in the video.
The effect of the project on the authors' clinical practice was to sensitise them to how they respond to patients' artwork. It is clear that art therapists ask a great deal of their patients when they ask them to declare their thoughts and feelings through art-making, art-viewing and talking. They felt more aware of the complexity and intensity of material passed around and among group members in an art therapy group in the domains of visual responses, thoughts, feelings and verbal interactions. The authors noted that they tend to allow the interpersonal process to slow down more in clinical practice, taking more time to clarify that they have understood what is being offered. They also have become more interested in the silent viewing in art therapy where much appears to be transacted.
The limitations of this study are that it involved one session with a non-clinical population. Strengths are that it was in-depth and used both observation and participant recall. Research implications are that the neurobiological sampling in art therapy may be limiting if it does not address the interpersonal nature of art therapy processes. Clinical implications are that groups are beneficial but highly demanding and require explicit mentalising. This experiment helped the participants sensitise themselves to processes involved in patient experience and recommend the approach to other art therapists.