Why is Imagery Used in Psychotherapy, Hypnosis and Projective Assessment?
Martha Crampton (1969) answers this question by discussing her work with Psychosynthesis, a type of psychotherapy. She believes that mental imagery techniques may play a useful role “in establishing rapport with the patient, to assess his problems and potentialities, and to actively involve him in the therapeutic process.” How does this happen? Rapport is established through imagery because images are a way that the patient symbolically represents his meaningful experience. Evoking these images establishes rapport with the patient by entering into the client’s unique frame of reference. Images can be used for assessment, as well. A Psychosynthesis therapist might ask the client to imagine or draw a tree to assess the client’s sense of self. A dwarfed or stunted tree may mean a person who has been unable to express his potential, whereas a tree in full bloom with much fruit may be a person who has achieved a high level of actualization. Imagery can also actively involve a patient in the
