Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Date of Graduation
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Renee Staton
Amanda Evans
Melinda Fox
Abstract
Projective techniques comprise a controversial category of interventions in therapy, but when utilized appropriately, can inspire valuable progress in the counseling process. This paper first explores the clinical benefits of projectives and scholarly concerns regarding their use in a clinical setting, before providing a brief overview of the history and practice of tarot card reading. Tarot has infrequently been the focus of academic research as a projective technique, and is presented here as a secular medium to enrich the therapeutic work and relationship. If utilized from an expressive rather than a diagnostic approach, this paper argues for the application of tarot as a projective technique in counseling with an appropriate client base, and further advocates for additional investigation of the intervention’s effectiveness in deepening the therapeutic process and enriching the therapeutic alliance.
Recommended Citation
Clinton, Eileen, "Divining the self: Applying tarot as a projective technique in counseling" (2024). Educational Specialist, 2020-current. 97.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec202029/97
