Therapy

PROJECT NAME Therapy - 'Look After Yourself'

DATE INSTALLED July 2020

LOCATION Montague Street, Dublin

ISSUE ADDRESSED Normalising therapy for young men

COMMISSIONED BY The Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists - IACP

 

BACKGROUND

In a bid to encourage more young Irish men to seek out help and talk with a therapist, the Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists commissioned an artwork that would help normalise therapy.

When something happens either suddenly or over an extended period of time - and it causes emotional pain - that trouble or ache doesn’t just dissipate into the air. Offloading this weight is very important. Therapy offers us that safe, professional and non-judgemental space. It’s ok to ask for help at any time. I have, and I feel no shame in saying that.

The project entitled 'Therapy' is a glimpse into that safe space. 

DESCRIPTION

The drawing portrays two characters, namely a therapist and a young man. The young man sits holding his gut with his right hand and a large rock in his left. He is systematically offloading his troubles and placing them one by one on a balanced stack of stones that are situated between himself and the therapist. The stone stack is perfectly balanced signifying his resolve in the situation. He is reminding us not be afraid of being vulnerable, to speak with a therapist when we need their professional care. Doing so is not something we should be ashamed of, or see it as a sign of weakness; it is in fact a sign of huge strength. 

The location of this drawing on the corner of Montague Street and Montague Lane was ideal. The architecture of the space allowed the therapist to remain faceless as the protagonist in this story is the young man. What you do see of the therapist is a gentle gesture toward the patient, guiding him to open up further and pinpoint his burdens.

The Therapist - ‘I meet strangers who come to me for help, support, and to take on what I believe is the most important venture anyone can, to truly know and understand themselves. The trust I am awarded each time a person tells me his or her story is something that has never ceased to humble and inspire me.’

 

To purchase a print please follow this link: THERAPY PRINT