Imagery and Mentoring Mentoring CPD & Supervision

What is Imagery What is Imagery? A set of mental pictures or images. –The use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas. –The use of expressive or evocative images in art, literature, or music. –A group or body of related images, as in a painting or poem. –Representative images, particularly statues or icons. –The art of making such images. Psychology. A technique in behaviour therapy in which the patient uses pleasant fantasies to relax, counteract anxiety and solve problems.

What is Imagery Close your eyes and then take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to relax. When you are relaxed, imagine you are holding a rose in your hand. –What does it look like? –What colour is it? –What does it feel like? –What does it smell like?

What is Imagery Types of Imagery Schorr (1974) suggests as visual imagery or visual memory to be especially vivid and permanent, it is easier to summon up a visual image than a tactile or olfactory one. He divides visual images into two types: –Non-symbolic – where a specific concrete answer is elicited to the therapist's question e.g., the image is known and integrated –Symbolic – images that are representational of certain people in the patient's life, or other intrapsychic elements that the patient cannot fathom what they mean e.g., the image is unknown or unrecognizable.

Exercise One If you were a colour what colour would you be? –what does being that colour feel like? –what are the qualities of that colour? –what do you like about this being with colour? –what don’t you like about this colour? –what colours does this colour like to blend with? –what colours does this colour not like to blend with? –how does the above relate to you, your life, this situation?

Exercise Two Working in pairs, identify an issue/ problem that you would like to focus on. –Mentee: Think of an image that is representative of that situation. Take some time to think about that image, explore it thoroughly in your mind. Describe your image to your mentor and the situation that it represents. Allow your mentor to ask you questions about the image so that you both can have a good understanding of the image. –Mentor: Use the image as a tool to understand the mentee’s issue. Explore the significant features of the image and try to link them to the situation that the mentee is experiencing. What information and/or solutions does this provide you and the mentee with?

Exercise Three Guided imagery exercise, led by Sue.