What Is Therapeutic Photography?

Can photography be therapeutic? Does a therapist have to be involved? Who can benefit from it?

Therapeutic photography can be defined as an intervention using photo-based activities done individually or as part of a group for therapeutic benefits but without any formal psychotherapy (Saita & Tramontano, 2018). Therapeutic photography can be used in many different capacities and can be facilitated by a therapist, or may be completely self-guided. The act of mindfully observing the world around us to capture an image that we want to share or remember can be therapeutic in itself.

Here are a few reasons why photography can be used as therapeutic tool (Loewenthal, 2023):

• It can preserve memories that otherwise can quickly fade away: photography provides a tangible artifact of experiences, making experiences memorable and renewable.

• It can facilitate hope: photography keeps pleasant and uplifting things in view, combating our tendency to despair too easily.

• It can be an outlet for dignified sorrow: photography reminds us of the legitimate place sorrow holds in a good life, so that we panic less about our difficulties and we recognize them as parts of a noble existence.

• It can be balancing agent: photography can clearly capture the essence of our good qualities and helps us rebalance our natures and direct us towards our best possibilities.

• It can be a guide to self reflection and self awareness: photography can help us identify what is central to ourselves, but is hard to put into words. A photo gives us self expression when words are inadequate or cannot be articulated clearly.

• It can foster understanding differences in others: photography can allow us to peek into the lived experiences of others who may come from a different culture or face different challenges and responsibilities in life than that of our own experience, as well as to share our differences with others.

• It can be a means of awakening mindfulness: photography can cause us to view the familiar in a new way, looking at our everyday environments through fresh eyes as we search for the art around us. We learn that novelty and glamor are not needed to make a photo worthy of taking.
  

Combining the activity of photography with a group setting has additional therapeutic benefits. Participants have an opportunity to learn from others as well as to share their own story. It can generate more meaningful conversations and space for processing than a traditional group therapy session or support group can offer, while providing a creative outlet.

References:

Loewenthal, D. (2023). The handbook of phototherapy and therapeutic photography : For the professional and activist client. Taylor & Francis Group.

Saita, E., & Tramontano, M. (2018). Navigating the complexity of the therapeutic and clinical use of photography in psychosocial settings: a review of the literature. Research in psychotherapy (Milano), 21(1), 293. https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2018.293