ABSTRACT
The Perceptual component represents one pole of the next level of the Expressive Therapies Continuum-the Perceptual/Affective level. The Perceptual component deals with the figurative aspects of mental imagery and emphasizes the formal elements of visual expression. Information processing occurs in a more sophisticated manner at the Perceptual/Affective level; it requires that clients use visual imagery to represent their internal experiences. In a sense, clients working therapeutically on the Perceptual dimension must learn a new visual language, the foundations of which are line, color, form, size, direction, and other visual elements. Work with the Perceptual component requires that clients use both this visual language and their accustomed verbal language in a parallel fashion to differentiate and describe their inner worlds.
