‘Showing people part of your life’: service-user experiences of taking and sharing photographs in a DBT-informed emotional coping skills group

Abstract

The added value of using photographs to explore experiences has been embraced in research methods such as photo-elicitation and Photovoice. Despite evidence that photographs aid communication and understanding, there is little research investigating photograph use within cognitive behavioural therapy. This project explores participant experiences of taking and sharing photographs within a dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)-informed emotional coping skills group intervention. Five service users were recruited from groups that had implemented the taking and sharing of photographs as a feature of homework tasks and feedback. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, using the photographs taken for the group as prompts, and interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to develop themes. Group evaluation data were used to support the analysis. Participants were positive about the impact of the photographs, despite initially experiencing anxieties regarding sharing them. The task supported them to express themselves in ways that added value to verbal feedback, which had benefits for group relationships and for the therapeutic tasks such as mindful observing. Further research is indicated, given the small sample and participants all being white, working-age females. However, the findings suggest that using photographs as homework tasks could support communication and the exploration of experiences that may be difficult to express using words. Key learning aims (1) Photographs may be an excellent tool for the communication of meaning and emotion in therapy. (2) Photographs taken on smartphones are likely to be a user-friendly, familiar and effective addition to homework recording tools. (3) Sharing photographs may have particular benefit for service users who struggle to be open about or express their feelings. (4) Photographs can provide a prop to help service users share experiences in a non-verbal way, which may help when working with people who struggle to describe their emotional experiences. (5) Sharing photographs can lead to a deeper connection with others, although some negotiation about what types of images can be captured will need agreement in a group setting.