CATS research paper

Application of Person-Centered Therapy with the "Love Your Selfie" Activity in the Substance-Use Population Your Name Course and SectionProfessor’s Name April 5, 2025 Application of Person-Centered Therapy with the "Love Your Selfie" Activity in the Substance-Use Population Introduction There is no doubt that substance use disorders (SUD) are complex conditions that drastically affect the emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of individuals suffering from substance use. Low self-esteem, negative self-perception, and unresolved emotional pain make the recovery from substance use difficult. However, the conventional therapeutic interventions are still important, and incorporating expressive arts therapies can be of great advantage for the clients to deal with the deeper emotional struggles. Hence, another creative modality is the 'Love Your Selfie' activity, which is an activity to improve self-worth and self-confidence through self-reflection and affirmation. In this paper, the use of a Substance Use Treatment Addiction intervention, the 'Love Your Selfie,' is explored as an integration with Person Centered Therapy (PCT) (Cooper & McLeod, 2011). This approach employs visual art and the use of affirmations to encourage self-compassion, acceptance, and support patients by providing a solid foundation for building a positive sense of self whilst being treated. Creative Arts Therapy and Theoretical Framework For this paper, the creative arts therapy selected is called “Love Your Selfie,” which is an exercise about self-reflection and self-affirmation with clients to engage visually with positive affirmations as a way to increase self-empathy and self-value. This activity is based on the theoretical framework of Person-Centered Therapy (PCT), which is a humanistic approach to counseling (Cooper & McLeod, 2011). The supportive environment that PCT posits is that people need to heal themselves, and their personal growth is within their inherent capacity (Luke, 2015). The three core conditions in PCT are unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy, and congruence. These core elements perfectly match the objectives behind the “Love Your Selfie” activity, which promotes self-acceptance and emotional healing for those in recovery. Cooper & McLeod (2011) believed that people have a natural tendency towards the fulfillment of potential if they exist in an environment that is nurturing, empathetic, and non-judgmental. The purpose of person-centered therapy is not to push the client to be perfect or to fix them, but rather to create the conditions so that the client can learn and grow from themselves (Joseph & Murphy, 2013). This is in keeping with the 'Love Your Selfie' task, which involves the client thinking about the positive qualities and embracing the not-so-positive so as to gain greater self-acceptance (Cooper & McLeod, 2011). The expressive arts offer an innovative solution to the verbal barriers for people with substance abuse issues (including self-esteem and self-destructive behavior), allowing people to bypass their verbal barriers and emotionally bond with the process of recovery. Client Population: Substance Use Therefore, this paper will pertain to the client population as individuals with substance use disorders. According to the nature of addiction, there are profound psychological issues that are often associated with addiction, like self-worth issues, emotional numbness, shame, and guilt. From there, these issues can really hamper recovery. Clients with substance use problems may also believe they are unlovable, have not earned love, health, or recovery, contributing to their addiction. Emotional self-healing should be addressed in order to support long-term recovery from the physiological aspects of addic...