RULES OF GROUP WORK IN ART THERAPY

Group work rules exist in any training. Art therapy training includes generally accepted rules and a number of specific rules:
1. The rule of activity is not to force the performance of visual products.
2. The rule of sincerity – everyone says what he thinks and feels, and not what is expected of him; at the same time, everyone establishes the measure of confidence himself; everyone has the right to say, “I don’t want to talk about it now.”
3. Confidentiality rule – information discussed in the group and relating to the personal life stories of each, is not taken out of the group.
4. The “here and now” rule – only what is happening “here and now” is subject to discussion, and not what happened “there and then.”
5. The rule of I-statements – everyone speaks on his own behalf: “I feel …, I think …”, “I see …”.
6. The rule of thumb is to speak only within the framework of a given topic about what a person feels “here and now.”
7. The rule of respect – any graphic products of the art therapy process should be treated with respect – do not step on, do not tear, do not throw away, do not use for your further work without the permission of the author.
8. The rule of “photo ethics” – it is not allowed to photograph artworks, game scenes, etc. in the art therapy process without a specially organized video session, without the consent or permission of the participants, as well as use photos in print.
9. The rule of a non-judgmental attitude – do not evaluate the visual products of the art-therapeutic process from the aesthetic side – “beautiful, ugly, like it, don’t like it, right, wrong …”.
10. Rule of respect for group members – do not interrupt the speaker, do not leave the circle until the discussion is completed; not to break the silence until all members of the group have finished their work, to be attentive to the experiences of the other person.
11.Rule of responsibility – upon completion of work in the training, everyone takes responsibility for their visual products. And also has the right to leave it for storage in the art therapy room.