Below is a clip from the HBO documentary about eating disorders, THIN. THIN explores the Renfrew Center, a residential facility that treats women with eating disorders. The clip is from an art therapy session with a girl named Alisa. It’s an interesting glimpse into an art therapy session with a professional art therapist and showcases one of numerous art therapy techniques used. Also, check out the following story from a reader about her eating disorder therapy experience.
Art Therapy Eating Disorder Video Transcript
Karen Polin (art therapist): What I’d like you to do is to do an outline of what you perceive to be your body image.
[Girl with eating disorder draws outline]
Karen Polin (art therapist): Stand up here for a second and take a look at it and tell me…what you think…when you’re looking at it.
Girl with eating disorder: I think it’s about accurate, but the arms might be bulging out just a little too much. It’s a stocky person.
Karen Polin (art therapist): A stocky man. It does look pretty masculine, so I’m just curious as to…what that means for you with your eating disorder and your, your body image that this is the kind of image that you see in yourself.
Girl with eating disorder: Yeah…I think that I’m short and stocky.
Karen Polin (art therapist): What are your thoughts?
Girl with eating disorder: I don’t know. For a fleeting moment I thought, no it can’t be…you’ve made a mistake, you went in to far.
Karen Polin (art therapist): What do you think…looking at this now?
Girl with eating disorder: I see problem areas.
[Girl writes on body drawing: “need to tone, saddle bags, love handles, abdominoplasty, breast lift, big boned, HELP ME”]
You can view more art about and with women and men struggling with eating disorders at http://www.skeletoninthecloset.net.