Reaching adolescents through portraiture photography

Reaching Adolescents Through Portraitm~ Photography

Barbara E. Will iams University of Texas at Aust in

ABSTRACT: Informal photography portra i ts were the key to more open communicat ion in residential t r ea tment of disturbed adolescents. The pictures were not only an innovative shor tcut to meaningful talk sessions, they became a unifying th read in the therapeutic intervention process. As staff learned how effective the pictures could be, they were used by every child to ease the t r ea tment pa th and to mark emotional milestones, from entry into the center, through personal growth and change, to final separation.

Adolescents are a difficult group to work with. Therapists either love them or stay as far away as possible. There are no lukewarm responses to this volatile group. Tapping into our own adolescent hangups, they flout our authority, speak to each other in a foreign jargon, won't talk when we want them to, remain dependent while seeking independence, and are trouble at home, at school and in the community. They refuse to participate willingly in therapy, having to be seduced into improvement, while the therapist resists being seduced into complicity. And attempting to persuade them to communicate in therapy makes the most arrogant of us humble.

How do we break through this barrier? Tomes have been written about adolescent therapy, milieu settings, confrontation, peer pressure, etc., etc. And it is all valid; almost anything works once a relationship is established. However, there seemed to be no shortcuts, no simple way to begin communicating. U n t i l . . .

Quite by accident, with no planning, no hypotheses and no research, I literally stumbled onto a technique which was pure gold. The magic started with a Polaroid camera and the necessity to "complete the files" with a picture of each of the adolescents we had in placement. The snapshots had an unexpected effect on the youngsters--they started taUdng. With several pushes in the right direction from the children themselves, I was able to develop the potential and mine the possibilities of using portraiture photography as a therapeutic tool.

But let's start at. the beginning. The setting was a coeducational 24-bed residential treatment facility

for emotionally-disturbed adolescents. Referrals were children judged too difficult to be managed at home, with a foster family or in a standard

Requests for reprints should be addressed to Barbara E. Williams, School of Social Work, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712.

Child & Youth Care Quarterly, 16(4) Winter 1987 © 1987 by Human Sciences Press 2 4 1

242 Child & Youth Care Quarterly

group-care institution. On the other hand, they had to be able, with the structure provided by the Home, to function in the neighborhood school. As the facility was not set up to work with physical handicaps, the youngsters were normal in appearance and generally attractive.

A wide variety of backgrounds was represented and the ethnic composition of Anglo, Black and Mexican American mirrored the general population. Presenting problems included difficulties in school, defiance of the law or parental authority, and classic psychiatric s)~nptoms such as depression or poor reality testing. Diagnoses included thought disturbances, as well as behavioral and affective disorders.

Privately funded, the Home was governed by a community board and staffed by professionals, including an administrator, clinical director, consulting psychiatrist, contract psychologist and master's level social work interns from the State University. IAve-in houseparents resided in each of the three cottages, with an extra bedroom provided for the relief staff.

As clinical director, my venture into photography as a therapeutic intervention was pure serendipity. The pictures were to function strictly as an administrative tool. Bust shots of the children, taken with a Polaroid camera at the time of the intake interview, would be used in reviewing admission material, then retained if the child were admitted, or sent to the referral agency if refused. From this aspect, the system looked good.

From a treatment perspective, there was an initial question as to whether a teenager coming for an admission interview--admittedly a time of extreme stress--would consent to having his picture taken. The procedure was given a trial period to ascertain whether it might prove countertherapeutic and serve to further alienate an already hostile or withdrawn child. It would be discontinued if it had an adverse treatment effect or negatively affected the beginning phase in placement.

Every effort was made to approach the snapshot session in a matter- of-fact, nonthreatening manner. To my astonishment, from the beginning the adolescents not only consented, but actively welcomed having their pictures taken. They were delighted with the "instant replay" of the Polaroid camera and curious about what would be done with the prints. Ever alert to any possibility of engaging a teenager in the treatment process, I took this opportunity to discuss the whole procedure with the child. Questions were actively encouraged and that opened the gates. Previous difficulties in verbal engagement were gone. Taking their pictures had the curious effect of loosening their tongues.

And the admissions procedure was not the only topic of conversation. Locked inside every adolescent is a burning desire to know about other teenagers in relation to himself. However, the typical questions of "Will I fit in? Am I terribly different?" etc., are too threatening to be asked

Barbara E. Williams 243

outright. To my continuing surprise, pictures were a springboard for this type discussion. They wanted to see pictures of the other residents, asking what they looked like, how old, etc. At first, of course, there were no likenesses of the others, but that was soon remedied. Those already in residence were eager to cooperate--they had been expressing jealousy of the new arrivals because they had their pictures taken! It was another way of acting out an old rivalry--the new kid on the block who required additional staff attention and the old-timer who possessed superior knowledge of the system. Focusing on the pictures was just another way of ventilating this tension. It was wonderful.

All the staff, with the support of the clinical director, began to use the pictures as a method of bringing these friction points into focus. Concrete discussions evolved during weekly group therapy meetings, as well as with individual children and cottage groups. From its inception, the introduction of photo~ ~aphs provided a "real" way to grasp the group dynamics of accepting new members into the fold. After the initial shock of hearing feelings expressed so openly, the houseparents embraced the new procedure.

And that was just the beginning. Pictures became part of the whole life of the Home community. They did not remain sequestered in the files. Residents began coming in regularly, asking to see themselves. So I began keeping a copy of the pictures in my desk drawer, along with a good supply of film. Another phenomenon was occurring--they wanted updates. The camera was not just taking pictures upon entry into the system, but at meaningful intervals along the treatment path. The term "meaningful intervals" in specifically descriptive, with each individual determining the length of the intervals. It was through this interaction with the youngsters that I developed photo taking into an intervention strategy. Although it is possible to use it with younger children, in my experience the natural narcissism of adolescence makes this an ideal age. In addition, it probably works best with those who have enough ego boundaries to function in an open setting, making it appropriate for a traditional group care home as well as in the more structured "treatment" facility.

Definite techniques evolved over a four-year period. Baseline equipment consists of a self-developing camera and plenty of film, kept close at hand in a desk drawer. Utilizing this strategy requires a therapist who is not only skilled in relating to teenagers, but also comfortable in a nondirective role. As the child makes the decision how to portray himself, the therapist must take particular precautions not to project his own feelings onto the child and "guess" neither what the child is trying to convey nor where the child sees himself along the treatment journey. A clinician who is not comfortable in an unstructured atmosphere may not have the will to pursue the results.


The adolescent both initiates and directs the discussion. This is one time when the pat ient has total control over wha t and how much he wants to communicate . An openness to "hearing" and a push to free the a tmosphere for reflection is needed on the par t of the clinician. Sldlled interviewing techniques, active listening and sophisticated climate setting are essential to avoid creating a frustrating experience. The limits can be summed up under: (1) in this office, (2) when the client feels the need of a new picture, (3) discussion after the picture taking as to why a new picture now, and (4) a central or key staff who can use the material effectively.

A key element is to be open-handed in how m a n y pictures a part icular child may need taken (unlimited is ideal), with positive reinforcement for self-examination. One of the stock questions asked was whether the child thought the shot just taken was an adequate representat ion of his /her current condition. I always offered to retake the picture until it met with the subject's approval. In spite of this open-ended invitation, it was rarely necessary to take more than one. The adolescents instinctively s t ruck those poses which most nearly approx imated how they felt a n d / o r how they viewed themselves. A couple of case histories will serve to illustrate the efficacy of the intervention.

Case History 1

Brenda was referred to the Home because of extreme withdrawal. Prior to adolescence she had been a quiet child who rarely interacted with other children, but presented no behavior problems at home or in the classroom. At 15 she became less and less reality oriented, culminating in school refusal. Becoming intractable at home, she frequently flew into rages which her parents were unable to control. Diagnosed as borderline schizophrenic, it was felt that in a structured setting she might be able to resume regular school attendance. However, with no intervention she might easily end up in the state hospital. In spite of being quite withdrawn during the intake interview, she submitted to having her picture taken and even showed some spark of animation in asking what would be done with it. For the picture, she lowered her head. I can still see the photo in my mind's eye--a clean center part in dull brown hair which fell as a limp curtain over barely visible pale features. Brenda was pleased with this portrait.

Some six months and many hours of work later Brenda returned to my office, specifically requesting I retake her picture. This was promptly executed. As stated above, each time a retake was requested, the picture was taken first, with discussion reserved for afterward. Questions were always connected with the photographs. In Brenda's case, we discussed the increased visibility of her face. Her head was tilted back more, so that her features were less shadowed and more visible through the cascading hair. The center part on the top of her head was no longer the featured attraction, having assumed its rightful place as a mere artifact of her hair style. Brenda was able to say that she thought a new picture was in order because she was beginning to learn to


look up and a round her more. She was feeling "safer" as she learned to t rus t her houseparents and the Home. In addition, she had made friends with one of her cottage mates.

At increasingly frequent intervals, varying from two to three months, Brenda came in for updates . Using the la tes t snapshot as a s tar t ing point, she was able to ta lk fluently about the changes she perceived in herself and her em4ronment. Then she began going over the previous pictures, lining them up on the desk and discussing where she had been and where she saw herself going. Each picture held special meaning for her and she was able to t ie down specifics of change as she perceived them through the images of herself t ha t had been recorded. Jus t before she left, af ter 18 months of t rea tment , she requested a last shot of herself. Jus t as indelibly impr in ted on my mind as the first picture is this last photo. Head thrown b a c k her wide smile and sparkl ing eyes made her look the picture of rad ian t youth so widely disbursed in teenage magazine ads. As was her option, she chose t ha t pic ture to remain for our fries. The others she took with her as momentoes of her progress- -evidence of the milestones in her journey forward. Her s tory was not unique. Snapshots provided tangible evidence of an internal s ta te for the adolescent who was wi thdrawn or having difficulties in real i ty perception.

C a s e H i s t o r y 2

Another type of problem and ano ther way of interact ing with the photos is i l lustrated by Andrew's case. Andy came to the Home during the summer between his junior and senior year in schooL A tr iple threat , he had been in cons tan t t rouble with his divorced parents , wi th school and the law. The pa te rna l g randmother had housed him for the last few years, but she finally admi t ted tha t she was unable to handle his increased acting-out. A modera te ly heavy drug abuser, he had been "busted" for mar i juana and assor ted o ther s t ree t drugs. The last s t raw was a drunken bout during which he had literally torn up his father 's apar tment . A previous his tory of destroying his mother 's belongings had curtai led visits there. Because the testing psychologist and consulting psychiatr is t saw Andy as emotionally d is turbed (al though well on his way to being a full blown charac te r disorder) , the juvenile cour t was willing to t ry t r ea tment as a last resor t before sending him to a correct ional facility. He had a t tacked proper ty , r a the r than persons, and all of tha t was "in the family." HIS g randmother was actual ly the "custodial" parent , but Fa the r had brought him in as the court -designated guardian. Fa the r readily and repeatedly told us (in one interview three t imes) tha t " i f we always expec ted the wors t of Andrew, then he would never d isappoint us" and washed his hands of the boy.

Andrew was charming. He smiled brightly a t the camera, af ter carefully combing his hair in the neares t mirror. He cha t t ed sociably about the possibili ty of being admi t ted and insisted tha t he was in fme shape. I t was his opinion he h a d a lot to offer the younger girls and boys in the Home, as he would be one of only two senior boys on campus in the fall. As the staff expected, the honeymoon las ted only a few weeks. Two months after admission, Andrew was back in my office asking for a remake of his picture. This t ime we had a scowling Andy, good lool~ mar r ed by a surly expression. He was not a t all h a p p y with the way things were going! The houseparen ts were not the all- giving, all-loving, all-supportive beings he had envisioned. In therapy, he was being confronted. In the living situation, his manipula t ions and a t tempts to


divide and conquer were not serving him well. The residents, who had been in t r ea tment significantly longer, were able to deal with very sophis t icated issues in group therapy, making him feel definitely out of his depth, in spite of his 140+ I.Q. He was no longer even superficially in charge of those a round him, int imidating "family" and paying them back for mismanaging his life as well as theirs. He was now in a si tuation where those a round him did not "feel guilty" because he had tu rned out so badly; he had no leverage.

Andrew was able to recognize some of these points on a superficial level, but he was nei ther happy nor reconciled with the placement. However, he had run out of options. His only recourse was to record his pro tes t by having his scowling visage recorded!

The work with Andrew's family did not go well. Mother refused to come at all and Grandmother felt overwhelmed. Fa ther was difficult. Borderline himself, it became obvious tha t Andrew was his tool for acting out. He resented the pa te rna l grandmother ' s financial suppor t of the boy, and as Andy made progress at the Home, Fa ther became more resentful and hostile toward staff. Once he began functioning adequately in school, only the Court Order kept Andy in placement. At the end of the fall semester he brought home his first nonfailing high school repor t card. He had previously been promoted with Ds in major subjects and Fs in minor subjects (e.g. a r t and physical education). The schools had justified passing him on the grounds of measured intelligence, his mas tery on s tandardized tests and the desire to avoid keeping troublesome children in the system any longer than absolutely ncessary. This fail, Andy's repor t card had one lone C, flanked by As and Bs. The Fa the r was livid; he accused the Home of "mollycoddling" Andrew and the School of inaccurate grading. The fact tha t Fa ther had not g radua ted from high school emerged at this point.

Andrew requested another picture. This showed a set- jawed young man, almost grim, with a touch of sadness in the eyes. He was not expansive in discussing this picture. It seemed tha t the clinched j aw also denoted a wi thdrawal of glib vocal comments, a definite change from the talkative Andy of six months ago. He did not seem able to get in touch with how he was feeling. Perhaps it was too pa infu l A silent Andrew sat for tha t portrai t .

Christmas came and went, not a h a p p y t ime for most of the residents. Andrew was no exception. Although he spent Chris tmas Day with his grandmother , he seemed withdrawn. The houseparents were uneasy about "what Andy was up to." The general feeling was tha t ei ther he had p la teaued or was on the verge of a setback. He had been too docile, too long. In addition, he was not sharing his feelings, or possibly he was hiding his feelings, even from himself.

In late February, Andrew came in for a remake of his picture. The casual observer might conclude tha t the laughing and chat t ing boy had re turned to his superficial charming serf. But this t ime he asked for a profile view. As we looked at the result, I asked, "Why the side view?." With a sly smile he replied tha t he did not feel up to facing the world. He had too many other things going--high school graduation, his 18th b i r thday ushering in "official adulthood," plans to be on his own, etc.

A week later we discovered the mar i juana plants growing in his closet, under a grow light. In accord with the Home's policy, the plants were confiscated and the police notified. Andrew asked ff he would be t ransfer red to the more restrictive environment of jail, where he would not have to take the steps he saw looming ahead. He had tr ied to warn us with his profile por t ra i t t ha t he was "not ready to face up to the future." Working with the police, the adminis t ra t ion was able to add more structure, while keeping him out of jail.


Restrictive hours and probation rules were imposed. At the same time, he was reassured that he could make it and he had our support.

In June, Andy graduated with an award in art and another in English. Father was enraged, refusing to have any more to do with his "hopeless" son. As discharge neared in midsummer, Andrew came in for a final shot. This revealed a pleasant- faced, clear-eyed young man who smiled slightly into the camera. He explained that his sober demeanor was because he recognized that he could not "go home" to his parents. That resource never really existed for him and his attempts to force them to work with him had failed. This was a sad lesson to learn, but he felt reasonably confident that he could make it on his own.

D i s c u s s i o n

As with Brenda, Andy's s to ry was unique only in t h a t he was a unique person. The c a m e r a provided a mi r ro r which could reflect the changes occurr ing in each child's emot iona l life. There were those whose p ic tures showed deliberately con tor ted features, back-of- the-head views, profiles, smiles, frowns, apathy, elation, sobriety, sadness, on and on, running the gamut . And always, af ter the initial one, these p ic tures were a t the teenager ' s request . There was a ldnd of rhythm, an innate sense of progress and p la teaus t h a t a p p e a r e d in each case. Every single child who remained in the program aver that four-year period utilized this method of communication.

Throughou t the course of t r ea tmen t , while convent ional the rap ies (he. group, individual and milieu) were employed, the use of po r t r a i tu re as a the rapeu t i c in tervent ion becam e a unifying thread. This t h e r a p y involved in teract ion with the Clinical Director, a posit ion enpowered to coord ina te all aspec ts of t r ea tmen t . Responsible for supervis ion of all child ca r e pe r sonne l and therapis ts , the Clinical Director mon i to red each child's progress. The adolescent could be conf ident t ha t re levant mate r ia l would be d isseminated in a t imely a n d a p p r o p r i a t e manner .

By discussing "the picture," the t eenager h a d a safe and sure s ta r t ing point f rom which to negotiate. I f psychological d is tance was i m p o r t a n t bu t the need to disclose was also there, the discussion could be cen te red on w h a t the p ic ture seemed to be saying. Also, and ve ry impor tan t , the previous p ic tures r ep re sen t ed phases or milestones th rough which the pa t i en t could keep in touch with where h e / s h e h a d been, m a k e some reasonable assessment of the p r e s en t and see possible implicat ions for the future.

Most of the children elected to keep all bu t one of the p ic tures a t the t ime of discharge. All left a t least one to " r emember me by." This gave ano the r dimension to s epa ra t ion - - t ang ib l e evidence t ha t t h e y w o u l d not cease to exist for us upon leaving the Home. Nei ther out-of-sight, nor out-of-mind as long as they were confident t h a t thei r p ic tures remained. This was often inc luded in the discussions as we worked


through termination. Although it is difficult to prove something "didn't happen," I feel certain that a lot of acting-out of separation was talked- out instead, utilizing those last picture taking sessions. That was coupled with the symbolic leaving of something meaningful behind.

And those pictures were meaningful. They were more than just identification. Each had been interpreted as a milestone by that child. Each had been discussed thoroughly. Each had meaning to the child, and each had made the child more real to himself and those around him as he began to invest himself. As a final benefit, each child had the option of selecting the picture that represented how he wanted to be remembered by some persons who had helped him during a stressful period. The pictures started with the initial interview and ended when the child was discharged--a neat, tied-together package, providing visible closure.

The snapshot portraits did not effect a "cure." Rather they provided a means to an end, an opportunity for the adolescent to reflect on his internal state and begin to express some feelings which could be tied to that "picture" of himself. It was sometimes astonishing how objectively and dispassionately the youngster could talk about what the photo revealed. With patience and skill, the clinician could help the child begin to make the shift into talking more directly and less metaphorically. A field ripe unto the harvest.

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Reaching adolescents through portraiture photography