Perceptions of young adult clients treated with time-limited art therapy

Background: This study examined the perceptions of young adult clients undergoing Time-Limited Art Therapy (TLAT) inspired by the Time-Limited Psychotherapy model (Mann, 1973). Twenty-one clients aged 23-35 dealing with typical young adulthood challenges participated in the TLAT intervention. Aims: Examine clients' perceptions of the TLAT, how art helped focus on their central issue in therapy, the function of art in therapy, therapy outcomes, and changes in self-image a topic that has yet to be explored in the art therapy literature. Methods: Therapy consisted of 26 sessions at a dedicated research clinic, with the termination date announced during the first session. The TLAT consisted of four intake sessions integrating structured art-based interventions, after which the central issue for therapy was formulated. This was followed by 22 sessions during which artmaking arose spontaneously. Semi structured interviews were conducted with all clients at the start and end of therapy. The data analysis adhered to Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) principles. Results: The CQR analysis revealed seven domains: clients' expectations when coming to TLAT, clients' perceptions of the time dimension in therapy, the therapeutic relationship, the significance of the central issue in therapy, the role of art in processing contents in therapy, the termination phase of therapy and the significance of therapy. Conclusions: Artmaking in TLAT helps draw attention to the central issue, foster the therapeutic relationship, and facilitate self-exploration. These results indicate the value of short-term individual models in art therapy and the advantages of incorporating art into brief psychotherapy, especially in cases with time constraints.