Connecting with your clients through media: Anime and video games in art therapy
Taylor Bourassa (RP (Qualifying), DTATI)
Ottawa, ON
Taylor Bourassa is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and art therapist with a private practice, Wellness Grove Therapy. She incorporates the environment into her practice through the use of natural materials, meditative practices that centre the earth, inviting the natural environment into sessions as a co-facilitator, and sharing the primordial knowledge the earth provides.
Figure 1: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Listening to and meeting our clients where they are as unique individuals is one of the most significant ways of being seen, held, and honoured in therapy. One of the ways I regularly practice this sort of attunement is through the introduction of specific media such as television and video games which resonate with my clients. In particular, the introduction of Stardew Valley (Barone, 2016) and Studio Ghibli anime.
Being able to relate to clients through media that is meaningful to them not only strengthens the therapeutic bond, but I believe it provides a mirror through which to recognize the influence of said media in a client’s life. By creating a space in therapy where all parts of the self are honoured and welcomed (which should just be how therapy naturally happens), the client is given the opportunity to look at their interests in different ways and see how significant they truly are. Additionally, the narrative component of these types of media are incredibly rich in symbol, archetype and metaphor which can be used as mirror for a client’s lived experience.
“Once the film is introduced, I always invite the client to re-watch with fresh eyes and see how, from their own perspective, the narrative, characters and themes fit into or align with their own story.”
Spirited Away (Miyazaki, 2001) is one of my main films of choice. I have used it as a point of reference for self-image, boundaries, exploration of the shadow, the process of individuation, anima and animus, the wise old woman, relationships, family dynamics and to explore the idea of the good enough mother, through Yubaba and Zeniba, the twin grannies. Once the film is introduced, I always invite the client to re-watch with fresh eyes and see how, from their own perspective, the narrative, characters and themes fit into or align with their own story. Creatively speaking, the film is engaging on multiple levels: visually, musically and narrative wise, so there is no real limit on how you can explore the film with your clients.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Miyazaki, 1984) explores the relationship between humans and the natural environment, the degradation of nature and community, and the power and impact of humans on each other and the world around them. This film can be introduced as a way to explore eco-anxiety and eco-grief, and a drive towards eco-conscious selfhood. The grief felt in the film resonates with the viewer, and encourages further reflection: how do we see the same things happening in our world? How do we currently navigate these griefs and anxieties? What about community and our individual involvement in being care-takers of the Earth?
Figure 2: Spirited Away
Howls Moving Castle (Miyazaki, 2004) provides viewers with an incredibly potent exploration of self-image, body dysmorphia, the process of individuation, exploration of the shadow, anima and animus, relationships and the existential questions of belonging and existing in space and time.
“As she nearly succumbs to her fate and begins to morph into a cat herself, we hear the Baron’s supportive adage: ‘always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you find yourself, you will have nothing to fear.’”
The Cat Returns (Morita, 2002) invites viewers to explore their self-identity and relationship to others. Again, this film touches on a sense of belonging, self-esteem, friendship and relatedness. There is an added element of separation with this film as we see the main character, Haru, find help from cats instead of humans. As she nearly succumbs to her fate and begins to morph into a cat herself, we hear the Baron’s supportive adage: “always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you find yourself, you will have nothing to fear.”
My Neighbour Totoro (Miyazaki, 1988) invites viewers to explore their relationship to nature, family, grief and illness, and the magical and mystical. Totoro the forest spirit acts as an incredibly comforting support to the main characters in the film, which I believe extends beyond the television set and into our very own living rooms. There is something to be said about the embodiment of the personality and felt sense of this character and its significance in our day-to-day lives. This is, of course, another angle which you can use while exploring these types of media with clients. How do we carry the felt sense and meaning of, or relationship to, the characters we find in these films? One such way is through physical embodiment in the form of dolls, plush or two-dimensional artwork.
“I introduce Ghibli as a starting point because the films have been significant for my understanding of my own self, and because the worlds presented evoke a curiosity and openness in your clients, inviting them to find the joy and numinosity of the world of Ghibli in real life.”
Figure 3: Stardew Valley board game
There are a number of story-driven, visually engaging and appealing anime that are not created by Ghibli that you can of course introduce into therapy, and will be just as helpful, if not more depending on the relationship your client may already have to the media. I introduce Ghibli as a starting point because the films have been significant for my understanding of my own self, and because the worlds presented evoke a curiosity and openness in your clients, inviting them to find the joy and numinosity of the world of Ghibli in real life.
Finally, I want to acknowledge Stardew Valley (Barone, 2016) as a “cozy” game, and its incredible impact on exploring self-esteem, relationships, problem solving, motivation, community, and relating to and strengthening your relationship with the environment. In this game you are tasked with saving the village, and through this process you work to honour your grandfather’s presence by re-building his farm, creating and fostering relationships with villagers, and re-invigorating the town by fixing the community centre. You learn and develop skills: fishing, sewing, husbandry, cooking, mining and foraging. You must learn the nuance and uniqueness of all villagers– what are their likes, dislikes, when are their birthdays, favourite holidays, who are their family members? If you gift a villager something they dislike this directly impacts your relationship to the villager.
The video game can be played individually or in co-op mode. When playing co-op mode, players can explore cooperation, teamwork, communication and inter-dependence. Recently the creator of Stardew Valley, Eric Barone of Concerned Ape, released a board game version. The board game allows for more players to play physically in the same space and offers players with a more tangible and engaged way of experiencing the world in real time.
Speaking to embodiment, Stardew Valley also offers a wealth of opportunity for this to happen. There are already plush characters available for purchase, or you can allow for a more engaged process by inviting your clients to practice creating their own versions. I have introduced this process before with a client who identified Stardew Valley as a calming game. This client already practiced crochet, and they were invited to create their own crochet plush dolls of characters they found soothing or calming in some way. The client created two crochet dolls, and in essence took the characters off the screen and into their own room. Now, they can carry the dolls with them, and access the calming effects of the game in a tangible and engaged way.
Figure 4: Totoro plush
“It can spark curiosity and openness, and can provide a tool by which clients can visually re-enact and re-engage their own life narratives, leading to understanding, exploration, new perspectives and integration.”
Introducing media into the therapy space that resonates with your clients can be incredibly helpful to connect with them and allows for a new way of exploring narrative and meaning. It can spark curiosity and openness, and can provide a tool by which clients can visually re-enact and re-engage their own life narratives, leading to understanding, exploration, new perspectives and integration. I introduce anime and video games into my sessions because this is the type of media that I have been ingesting since I was 5 years old and first saw Sailor Moon on my very small TV in 1997. It is also something that resonates with a lot of my clients, and I have found it can be incredibly helpful for clients who are reluctant or unsure about creating their own artwork. It allows them space and time to explore medias with which they are already comfortable.
Anime and video games are just two of many media options to introduce into therapy. It depends on the client you are working with, and your own frame of reference and understanding of the media. I believe any form of media which resonates with and impacts your client is significant enough to bring into the therapy space.
References
Miyazaki, H. (Director). (1984). Kaze no Tani no Naushika [Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind] [Film]. Studio Ghibli.
Miyazaki, H. (Director). (1988). Tonari no Totoro [My Neighbour Totoro] [Film]. Studio Ghibli.
Miyazaki, H. (Director). (2001). Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi [Spirited Away] [Film]. Studio Ghibli.
Morita, H. (Director). (2002). Neko no Ongaeshi [The Cat Returns] [Film]. Studio Ghibli.
Miyazaki, H. (Director). (2004). Hauru no Ugoku Shiro [Howl’s Moving Castle] [Film]. Studio Ghibli.
Barone, E. (Developer). (2016). Stardew Valley [Video game]. The Concerned Ape.