Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 339 Different Colors

One important issue for patients with anorexia nervosa is that they don't perceive their current state as a problem.

Even if their bodies experience many adverse reactions due to dieting, they do not feel that their current lifestyle needs to be changed, nor do they feel that they need to seek psychological counseling.

In psychological counseling, this is called "lack of insight".

It is very difficult to conduct counseling through dialogue alone for such visitors.

Therefore, Nan Zhuren needs to use nonverbal intervention techniques to activate the client's creative expression, thereby bypassing the client's language defense mechanism and making the abstract problem more concrete through metaphor, symbolism, or bodily perception.

Ultimately, this helps the visitor recognize their own problems.

The sandplay therapy I used on Chen Ting was a very good method.

However, considering that Li Mingchen's problem is essentially anorexia nervosa, there are more suitable techniques that can be used.

……

"[Body Map]?"

Li Mingchen repeated Nan Zhuren's statement, expressing doubt about the term.

The Body Mapping technique falls under the category of expressive arts therapy and integrates the ideas of humanism and cognitive behaviorism.

This technique, while bypassing language defenses, can externalize the visitor's inner experience and concretize the bodily signals that the visitor has long ignored.

It is applicable to psychological problems and mental illnesses that cause somatization symptoms.

“Yes, [Body Map].” Nan Zhuren nodded.

He pointed to the paper and pen on the table.

first step.

"First, I need you to draw yourself on this piece of paper."

Li Mingchen blinked: "Draw 'me'?"

He seemed to think this was a task that was too difficult for him.

Nan Zhuren nodded and then explained, "It doesn't need to be drawn in great detail. Just make sure it has a head, torso, and limbs, like a simple diagram of a human body structure."

This remark was somewhat humorous, and Nan Zhuren smiled in response, making Li Mingchen feel more relaxed.

"If you really can't think of anything, you can draw a stick figure. As long as the human body structure is complete and can express a certain degree of your characteristics."

Pointing out the minimum standard—the "stick figure"—is a way of giving Li Mingchen a safety net.

Li Mingchen breathed a slight sigh of relief, then hesitated before accepting it.

He picked up the pen and put it down, but the pen tip didn't slide; it only left a black dot on the white paper.

He then lifted the pen again and held it in mid-air, as if he was considering something.

Then it fell again, but the pen tip still didn't move.

This was repeated several times, and a full three minutes passed, but Li Mingchen still hadn't drawn anything.

Nan Zhuren waited patiently.

One possible explanation for not drawing for a long time is a feeling of loneliness, emptiness, or a lack of self-awareness.

Li Mingchen's current actions, however, suggest another possibility.

[Contradiction], or [Conflict].

The repeated strokes followed by pauses indicate that he had an image he subconsciously wanted to draw, but another voice in his mind told him not to draw it.

This is good news, much better than Nan Zhuren had originally expected.

This indicates that Li Mingchen possesses at least a multi-dimensional understanding. After all, conflict arises only with understanding.

After waiting for about half a minute, Li Mingchen seemed to have sorted out the many conflicting thoughts in his mind and began to write.

He drew a tiny figure that wasn't much more detailed than a stick figure.

“Very good, we have now completed the first step. You have drawn ‘yourself’ on the paper.” Nan Zhuren gave full support to every step of the progress at present.

"Then what happens next-"

Nan Zhuren fumbled around for a while and took out the tools he had prepared in advance.

Three watercolor pens.

They are blue, green, and red, respectively.

He handed the blue pen to Li Mingchen first.

“First, we’ll fill your ‘body’ with blue,” Nan Zhuren said. “Blue represents your ‘strengths.’ Which part of your body do you think is the least problematic and the most outstanding?”

The body's strengths are often the least thought-provoking things, so Nan Zhuren chose this as the first step in exploring the "body map," hoping to help Li Mingchen quickly become familiar with and engage in the process.

Upon hearing this question, Li Mingchen did not show the expected decisiveness.

He picked up a pen and scribbled a small patch on his arm.

The gaps were not filled.

"I... am quite strong, so I guess that's an advantage."

This is something Li Mingchen had told Nan Zhuren during the last psychological evaluation.

"The best part is on your arms? Why not apply it all over? There are still a lot of gaps here." Nan Zhuren pointed this out directly.

The implication was that she wanted to use this question to get Li Mingchen to explain his earlier hesitation.

“Strength is indeed one of my strengths, but…” Li Mingchen answered in that direction, then added after a moment’s thought, “I don’t know if this strength is because I’m too fat. And I haven’t trained for so long now, so my strength has definitely declined…”

As he said this, he cleared his throat, as if something was bothering him: "If it were two months ago, I would have covered my arm in it."

Nan Zhuren blinked.

He glanced at Li Mingchen's expression and noticed something interesting.

[They looked down or avoided eye contact.]

[His lips were tightly pressed together.]

【frown.】

These micro-expressions can be interpreted in many ways.

However, Nan Zhuren did not initiate a confrontation or make any comments at this stage.

"Okay, let's move on to the next step."

“Next, I hope you can recall the day you had a low blood sugar and climbed over the railing,” Nan Zhuren said softly.

“Then, use red to color out the areas where you felt uncomfortable.” As she spoke, Nan Zhuren handed over a red watercolor pen.

You can see Li Mingchen clearing his throat again, then shifting uncomfortably on the sofa and adjusting his posture.

[The pupils dilated slightly, was it a memory... wait, they focused again... then dilated again?]

This involves alternating between focused and detached states.

[It's not just the eyes, but also the eyebrows.]

The alternating furrowed and relaxed brows reveal a contradictory "discontinuous" reaction...

Li Mingchen thought for a while, then pulled out the cap of the red pen.

Then I added a little red paint to the head area.

It's just a little bit of red paint, it's still not completely covered.

"Why apply it here?" Nan Zhuren asked.

“I was very dizzy at the time and lost consciousness,” Li Mingchen replied. “So this was the most uncomfortable place.”

(End of this chapter)