Study and harmonization of personal borders in art gestalt approach to pairs

Problem and Purpose. The Study is focused on the psychological assistance to partners in harmonizing their personal boundaries. The art-gestalt methodology of settling “Psychological boundaries in couples”, from the viewpoint of its content and process of work using it are presented and substantiated in the article. Methodology. The methods presented in “Psychological boundaries in couples” are intended for organizing the study by the partners of the existing boundaries and the desirable ones in the couple’s space making use of symbolic forms for self-expression. Namely, it means the reflection of visual images with the aim of creating such conditions by the partners themselves that they would be able to comprehend their needs and boundaries, peculiarities of their functioning by representing individual images of their space. Results. The results obtained in the course of the research showed that the creation of the picture of the partners’ physical territory, on which they live, through singling out in colours “your”, “my” and “our” space helps to materialize, to extrapolate into reality the subjective image of psychological space boundaries, that is to make it perceptible for yourselves as well as for others, to make it the object of conscious awareness, research and dialogue. “to interpret,” to find out a subjective image of the boundaries of psychological space and to make it visible for yourself as well as for others, to make it the subject of awareness, research and dialogue. This allows the partners to understand each other’s concepts of their personal boundaries in their couple’s space, to reveal similarities and differences in these concepts, to understand their needs in arranging properly their boundaries. Besides the partners become aware of the fact that the more actively they are trying to achieve proper understanding of their boundaries, the sooner they will normalize their relations. Conclusions. The combination of verbal communication which is initiated, supported and directed by the consultant with the usage by the partners of image-symbolic methods for self-expression and communication on the basis of a picture-pattern give the couple an opportunity to build a visual model of psychological boundaries in the couple and provides them with the possibility to experiment with it searching for a suitable configuration. As their own search and creative expression of inner condition come to the front, this kind of practice may encourage the process of differentiation and analysis of the couple’s condition, comprehending their partner’s attitude to the current developments inside their couple space.