‘If our feelings and other mental conditions can also be represented (especially through words) this helps them being easier identified, shared, considered and modulated’ (Wallin 2007, p. 147).

‘The roots of resilience and the capacity to withstand emotionally aversive situations without resorting to defensive exclusion are to be found in the sense of being understood by and existing in the mind and heart of a loving, attuned, and self-possessed other’ (Fosha 2000, p. 60).

One student responded during the interview (see supplement 3: Response on interview questions): ‘I couldn’t talk; I was thinking in loops, I panicked. Then I had therapy’.

‘The transformation of consciousness into a public form, which is what representation is designed to do, is a necessary condition for communication’ (Eisner 2002, p. 6). ‘But language, while a central and primary form of representation is by no means the only form of representation’ (p. 8).

In this way, art provides an option to verbalize in a more indirect way.
(Also see 3.2: Art and inner dialogue).

Chapter 2.3

Mental health, mentalizing 

The central idea in a script seems to be how to connect to others without loosing the connection to ourselves. In order to be connected to ourselves we have to be able to observe our own thoughts, feelings and physical reactions. The ability to verbalize them helps in this proces. When this becomes difficult our communication tends to be reactive. In doing research with borderline patients, their reactive behaviour led Peter Fonagy (2002) to introduce the concept of mentalizing. Mentalizing is a form of imaginative mental activity, namely, perceiving and interpreting human behaviour in terms of intentional mental states (e.g. needs, desires feeling, beliefs, goals, purposes, and reasons). The easy way to describe mentalizing it is: thinking and feeling about thinking and feeling (Allen, Fonagy, Bateman 2008, p. 63). Mentalizing is considered to be an indicator of mental health and language is considered to be the representational medium for mentalizing.

In order to learn how to mentalize; children need parents that are able to mentalize (also see 2.2.1: Scripts in an object position). Their psychological self is being created ‘by the perception of oneself in the mind of another person in thinking and feeling’ (Allan, Fonagy, Bateman 2008, p. 9).

Rationalizing as such should be considered a coping strategy (Allan, Fonagy, Bateman 2008, p. 49). Using our internal critic and rationalizing is focussing on what’s coming from the outside - either rational facts or the norm (that might be internalized) -, but not connecting to our feelings or desires. It’s important to notice the difference between reflecting and being rational. Even if we go into coping behaviour, trying to maintain an observant position could help us to use it as a cue, leading us to our inner experience (feelings, needs, desires) (Frederick 2009, p. 86). This creates an emotional system where feelings are embraced and taken seriously. Even if feelings are expressed in child-mode, they can guide us instead of confuse us. An observing position (meta-position) however is necessary for transforming feelings expressed through child-mode into feelings that can be represented or shared with another person.

This is why psychotherapy can be considered creating dialogical space, enabling you to share several ideas, believes and meanings, without excluding important voices. (Rober 2012, p. 61). Monological narratives are turned into dialogical ones. By doing that we learn to recognize ‘previously unconscious metaphors and how we live by them’ (Lakoff & Johnson 1980, p. 233). In regard to art the link to metaphors is an interesting perspective, because art seems to be not so much about verbalization but more about representation.

The importance of verbalizing, creating an overview and connecting to emotions, is shared bymany therapeutic approaches in psychology. From a therapeutic perspective the vulnerability of connecting to emotions is considered to be a force instead of a weakness (Frederick 2009, p. 137) and therefore a sign of mental health.

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Chapter 2.3

Mental health, mentalizing 

The central idea in a script seems to be how to connect to others without loosing the connection to ourselves. In order to be connected to ourselves we have to be able to observe our own thoughts, feelings and physical reactions. The ability to verbalize them helps in this proces. When this becomes difficult our communication tends to be reactive. In doing research with borderline patients, their reactive behaviour led Peter Fonagy (2002) to introduce the concept of mentalizing. Mentalizing is a form of imaginative mental activity, namely, perceiving and interpreting human behaviour in terms of intentional mental states (e.g. needs, desires feeling, beliefs, goals, purposes, and reasons). The easy way to describe mentalizing it is: thinking and feeling about thinking and feeling (Allen, Fonagy, Bateman 2008, p. 63). Mentalizing is considered to be an indicator of mental health and language is considered to be the representational medium for mentalizing.

In order to learn how to mentalize; children need parents that are able to mentalize (also see 2.2.1: Scripts in an object position). Their psychological self is being created ‘by the perception of oneself in the mind of another person in thinking and feeling’ (Allan, Fonagy, Bateman 2008, p. 9).

The importance of verbalizing, creating an overview and connecting to emotions, is shared bymany therapeutic approaches in psychology. From a therapeutic perspective the vulnerability of connecting to emotions is considered to be a force instead of a weakness (Frederick 2009, p. 137) and therefore a sign of mental health.

Rationalizing as such should be considered a coping strategy (Allan, Fonagy, Bateman 2008, p. 49). Using our internal critic and rationalizing is focussing on what’s coming from the outside - either rational facts or the norm (that might be internalized) -, but not connecting to our feelings or desires. It’s important to notice the difference between reflecting and being rational. Even if we go into coping behaviour, trying to maintain an observant position could help us to use it as a cue, leading us to our inner experience (feelings, needs, desires) (Frederick 2009, p. 86). This creates an emotional system where feelings are embraced and taken seriously. Even if feelings are expressed in child-mode, they can guide us instead of confuse us. An observing position (meta-position) however is necessary for transforming feelings expressed through child-mode into feelings that can be represented or shared with another person.

This is why psychotherapy can be considered creating dialogical space, enabling you to share several ideas, believes and meanings, without excluding important voices. (Rober 2012, p. 61). Monological narratives are turned into dialogical ones. By doing that we learn to recognize ‘previously unconscious metaphors and how we live by them’ (Lakoff & Johnson 1980, p. 233). In regard to art the link to metaphors is an interesting perspective, because art seems to be not so much about verbalization but more about representation.

In this way, art provides an option to verbalize in a more indirect way.
(Also see 3.2: Art and inner dialogue).