People are complicated creatures

? they often conceal secrets that they themselves are not always aware of. Nobody knows this better than Paul Pitner-long-term teacher, therapist, counselor, and psychology consultant.In Pitner’s new book, DRAWING CONCLUSIONS, he shows us how even a simple drawing of simple subjects-a house, a tree, a person-can reveal a great deal about a person’s background, personality, and state of mind. By following the author’s clear, careful guidance, anyone can analyze their own drawings or those of others to discover the hidden meanings of each picture.Paul Pitner currently lives in Piedmont and has consulted with state-funded preschools in California and is a consultant with the Bridge School for children with cerebral palsy, founded by Neil Young.In an interview, Pitner can discuss: *How simple drawings can give us insight into our unconscious mind *Why adults have such difficulty displaying and understanding their emotions *The warning signs parents should be looking for in their children’s drawingsGrab a box of crayons and delve into the unconsciousDRAWING CONCLUSIONS Learn About Yourself & Others Through Drawing AnalysisPaul Pitner Draw a picture that includes a house, a tree, and a person. What could be simpler? After all, this task can be easily accomplished by the average kindergartner. Yet, it’s far from a no-brainer. Psychologists have relied on this elementary exercise as a guide to understanding the behavior of troubled children for nearly 60 years. What’s more, the same basic art assignment can provide startling and profound insights into the personalities, personal histories, and persistent problems of all kinds of complicated grown-ups.In DRAWING CONCLUSIONS: Learn About Yourself & Others Through Drawing Analysis (SterlingHouse Publisher, Inc.; ISBN: 1-58501-096-0), psychological counselor and teacher Paul Pitner challenges every adult to stop, think, and draw his or her own response to the words house, tree, and person. As he explains, it’s a do-it-yourself version of the test developed by John Buck in 1948, and what’s known as a projective test-because the artist is projecting unconscious aspects of him- or her-self onto the blank paper. And, as he makes clear, every expressive detail has significance. Even stick figures speak volumes. This book provides the opportunity to get at the meaning behind the drawing, Pitner notes. Drawing ability does not affect the depth or scope of the analysis. This creative exercise is about the process, not the product.mDrawing on the ideas of Carl Jung, DRAWING CONCLUSIONS shows how to apply the rich, revelation-filled language of symbols to any house, tree, and person picture. Step by step, image by image, Pitner walks each reader/artist through a fascinating journey of self-discovery. Here’s a glimpse of the astonishing information a humble drawing can convey about the drawer’s past and secret fears, drives, and desires:The House Krepresents matters relating to family, security, and the need for love and attention Does the house have any windows? If they’re located only above the door line, the artist is likely a guarded person-someone others have to work hard to get to know. Are there shingles on the roof? This typically means that the artist is a perfectionist, and perhaps a little too obsessive.–more–The Person Kusually represents the artist, a self-conception in the present Is the person inside the house? Maybe he feels secure and content where he is. Or maybe she feels trapped and fearful of independence. Is the person standing outside but lacking feet? The artist may be stuck-whether in a dead-end job or an abusive relationship-and unequipped to change the situation.The Tree Krepresents growth and a sense of possibilities for the future Does the tree have branches? Branches stand for paths the artist could travel. No branching out indicates a cloudy future and a currently stressful or unfulfilled life. Is there a hole in the trunk? This signifies the artist’s experience of loss. It could be the death of a loved one or a divorce. Or it could be a missed chance.DRAWING CONCLUSIONS also sheds light on objects frequently used to complete the picture, from the sun to birds, flowers, and animals to mailboxes. Throughout, vivid illustrations of actual house-tree-person drawings from students and clinical patients help readers strengthen their analytical skills and test them on significant others. But that’s not all. For those eager to delve further, Pitner presents several fascinating self-tests. Takers will get the opportunity to: Recognize what routinely annoys them and measure their stress level. find out their learning style Kand gauge whether it’s the same style they gravitate towards when teaching as a parent.Assess their self-esteem Kand uncover their inner narcissist. Rate their own adaptability, impulsiveness, and other traits and determine their general temperament. Get a sense of whether they might have Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without hyperactivity or whether the diagnosis really fits their child.Intriguing and informative, DRAWING CONCLUSIONS offer the promise of raising self-awareness, opening minds, and changing lives.ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Pitner has been teaching Psychology and Early Childhood Education to college students for more than 15 years. He previously worked as a therapist and counselor at Menninger San Francisco Bay Area’s Child and Adolescent Program and The Family Service Agency of San Mateo County. He has also supervised Ph.D. candidates in child group therapy, consulted with state-funded preschools in California, and continues to serve as a consultant for the Bridge School for children with cerebral palsy, founded by Neil Young. He lives in Piedmont, California, with his wife and 11-year-old daughter. An Interview with Paul Pitner, author of DRAWING CONCLUSIONS 1. Is the old saying ” a picture is worth a thousand words” the world of psychology?The actual saying is a reference to a Chinese proverb and later became popularized by a Street Car advertisement. But, it certainly applies to the self-expression that occurs when one draws a picture. Any picture created reflects a complex interaction between the creators experience and the brain which allows for the externalizing of that experience. Pictures in an instance can capture a life-time of experience when perhaps there is no combination of words that truly capture that experience.2. Why is it difficult for adults to express their emotions openly?Anytime a person expresses their emotions they are making themselves vulnerable. Those around them can manipulate the conditions so that the person who has expressed their emotions does so again. As adults we become very guarded to being manipulated. Adults have been socialized to control themselves and that includes their feelings. Also, there are some people that have such strong emotions that they believe if they express them the emotions will overwhelm them and they will lose control. We are also in great fear that those we express our emotions to will not share them, and we will rejected and embarrassed.3. Is there such a thing as repressed thoughts and emotions? Is the brain trying to trick or protect us?Yes, and these repressed thoughts (Freud’s theory) come out in our behavior, though we have no awareness of how and when. Those thoughts and emotions would produce too much anxiety if they are made conscious and are excluded from our consciousness by our brain. So, our brain is really protecting us, traumatic events that have occurred in our lives, if conscious would overwhelm us and we would be unable to function in our daily lives. The simple fact that we are all going to die at one time or another is such a potentially traumatic thought that we would be able to do few if any of the mundane things that we must do to survive in the world, since this is the case we rarely think about or are capable of thinking about the fact of our mortality. 4. How did you determine that pi
ctures of a house, tress and person are the best way to read into someone’s feelings and thoughts?I was trained as a Therapist who worked with children. Children are unable to express their thoughts and emotions well through language, because they don’t have the language skills of an adult or adolescent. They do express themselves through artwork. This artwork can be interpreted and the meaning discovered if one is able to translate the symbolic language it is being conveyed in. A House is a symbol and place that all humans can relate to, as can one to a drawing of a person, and a tree. These three symbols are immediately identifiable. A universal connection is made between the drawer and the observer, no translation is involved, a starting point for connecting thought and feeling between people has been established. I have collected thousands of House, Tree, and Person drawings and found clear patterns of how the drawer is speaking to the observer.5. Stress is a big factor in today’s world. How does your method help people determine what annoys them and how can they be helped?Many people are under a lot of stress, yet they are not necessarily aware of the amount of stress or how it affects all aspects of their life. The analysis of the drawing gives insight into those stress levels and the follow up stress and annoyance scales in the book give further analysis and ideas about how to cope with high stress levels. 6. Are people with drawing abilities better able to express their feelings during this test?The ability to draw is not a factor in the extent to which an analysis of a drawing can be made. The person who can only produce stick figures can receive just as much information about themselves as can the talented artist. The analysis of the drawing is focusing on messages conveyed by the drawing, not grading the quality of the picture. Even the simplest of sketches can reflect a great depth of meaning.7. Are there any warning signs parents should be aware of when looking over their kids’ drawings?There is always a caution at applying the same meaning to the action of children as those of adults. Children are in the middle of an ongoing process of development, especially in regard to their sense of self. A child’s drawing that reflects a lot of angry or destructive imagery can reflect a phase in development or some deep seated issues. Only when the child’s drawings are put into the context of what is going on in other areas of their life can warning signs be identified.