ABSTRACT
The psychological intricacies underpinning the meaning of objects are linked to wellness in a dynamic primal dance: an interchange of object experience, personal associations, activation of evocative characteristics, and resultant healthful impacts, all alive and kicking in an amazing human-object moment. Healthful museum object encounters occur in highly participatory museum exhibitions, and also in passive moments when a person connects with an object that is for them, a living presence. Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics began as the inspiration of a museum professional who found herself immersed in an unfamiliar world of wilderness therapy. Breaking down silos and working across disciplines is a powerful theme in the work that we do with objects and mental health, and it is a requirement for successful engagement with Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics. Exploring the “why” of objects has been the driving force behind the development of Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics and its introduction into the ongoing dialogue about objects, museums, and wellness.
