| Abstract [eng] |
Long-term unemployment is regarded as a significant risk factor for mental health, associated with decreased self-esteem, increased anxiety, emotional insecurity, and growing social isolation. Prolonged social and economic exclusion may weaken a person’s sense of identity and inner stability; therefore, it is important to seek support methods grounded in experiential approaches. Art therapy is widely associated in the literature with the enhancement of psychological well-being; however, the experiential significance of clay expression as a bodily and process-oriented therapeutic factor remains insufficiently explored in the context of women experiencing long-term unemployment. The aim of the study was to describe the experience of clay expression among long-term unemployed women participating in the art therapy process. Research Objectives: 1. To analyze the experiences of women facing long-term unemployment while working with clay in the process of art therapy. 2. To reveal the significance of the creative process for self-exploration, emotional experiencing, and their awareness. 3. To investigate the experiences of strengthening inner resources during the therapeutic process while working with clay. 4. To describe the empowerment of women experiencing long-term unemployment through creativity using thematic analysis. The study employed a qualitative research design. Data were collected during group art therapy sessions by documenting participants’ creative processes and outcomes, as well as their verbal and written reflections. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, supplemented by case study analysis. The findings revealed that the emotional difficulties experienced by long-term unemployed women form a multilayered and interconnected system of experiences, combining anxiety, diminished self-esteem, emotional distress, and social withdrawal. The clay expression process, grounded in bodily contact with the material, provided conditions for safely experiencing and regulating emotions, restoring a sense of control and boundaries, and gradually strengthening self esteem. The creative process—pressing, shaping, and smoothing the clay—became the primary space for inner change, while the group format further reinforced a sense of connectedness and social support. 3 In conclusion, clay expression in the art therapy process became a central space for emotional work, where participants were able to recognize and strengthen their internal resources, restore emotional stability. The results suggest that creative work with clay serves as a meaningful factor in facilitating inner change. Through bodily engagement with the material, women were able to safely experience emotions, learn to regulate them, and gradually assign personal meaning to them within the context of prolonged uncertainty. |
