Dixit: a game with storytelling, bluffing and a delightful art style. But Dixit has another use unknown to the average board gamer, unless they were aware of a certain practice– creative therapy.
My Auntie Saskia, an accredited counsellor, first told me about this as she has made Dixit cards a part of her sessions. We got together so she could clue me in on how she ‘plays’ Dixit.
What is creative therapy?
Creative therapy is, as the name suggests, a way of expressing and processing feelings through mediums such as art, crafts, music and drama. As an alternative to talking therapy, the kind we tend to think of when therapising comes up, creative therapy can allow a different route into deeper feelings and offer fresh perspectives on situations. “ My first experience of creative therapy was when I was working towards my first counselling certificate, so a long time ago,” Saskia told me. “We were all sitting on the floor making masks; I have a vivid memory of paper and glue everywhere and people bustling around me. It was bright, warm, and I remember thinking: I get it now. This is really nice.”
Sometimes, creative therapists are specialists within their field. For example, some art therapists will only do art therapy and are qualified artists; similarly, some music therapists are experienced musicians. This is often not the case, however; for many therapists, like my Auntie, creative therapy is one part of the services they offer, and will often use multiple aspects of therapy– creative or not– to help their clients.
One thing that links all creative therapies, however, is the respect with which it is implemented. It is not about the client creating something amazing or the therapist judging its quality; it's about untraditional, nonverbal communication and helping.
One example of how creative therapy can be factored into Saskia’s sessions is through post it notes with different family members written on each one. “The client can move their family around their room, to wherever they feel is best– they might want certain people close to them, or on the other side of the room. They might even want one covered with a cushion and put out of sight.” There is no right or wrong answer with creative therapy, only perceptions that can help people explore how they feel.
One of the main ways Saskia incorporates creative therapy into her sessions is, surprisingly, with the game Dixit.
Dixit, a game of imagination
Imagine you’re on the ocean floor, scavenging for treasure. Or careering down a waterfall into the frothy depths below. Or even riding a rain cloud, far about the earth, soaking the canopy beneath you. All these things, and an infinite amount more, are possible with the game Dixit; if you can envision it, it can happen.
The original Dixit board game comes with a scoreboard, some little bunny-shaped counters, number counters and a deck of picture cards. You start by dealing out cards to each player; the cards have surreal, somewhat nonsensical pictures on them. Each player takes it in turn to be the storyteller. The storyteller starts off their round by choosing a card and placing it face down on the table, along with a word or phrase that relates to the picture. All other players choose the card in their deck that most closely fits the word, and adds it face down to the pile. The storyteller shuffles and displays the cards, and all other players try to guess which was the original card.
As a player, you score points by guessing the storyteller’s card or by having your own card guessed instead of the storyteller’s. The storyteller gets points if some players guess their card; if their clue is too obvious that everyone gets it, no points. If their clue is too obscure and no one gets it, no points. The aim of the game is to score the most points and be the first to get your bunny counter all the way round the scoreboard.
But what if we discard the board, the bunnies and the gameplay and delve deep into the psyche of the Dixit cards?
Dixit in therapy
Saskia started to explain how the Dixit cards can help, but it soon became clear that the best way was to show me.
She gave me her Dixit 2: Quest set, and instinctively I picked out some that I liked the most. She told me to choose the one that resonated with me the most, and after some narrowing down I landed on this one:
She told me to close my eyes and try to put myself in the picture. I could feel the breeze, hear the gravel crunching under my feet, to which Saskia smiled encouragingly.
Then she got me to draw myself into the picture, however I felt best. I had a fun art session without caring too much about the look of it. Saskia asked me to add to certain elements, like what some of the shapes might be saying, or what the title would be. Here is what I came up with:
Certainly not a candidate for the national portrait gallery or anything, but as I said, I had fun doing it. On analysis, the picture is certainly reminiscent of how I feel about my life at the moment. The creatures in the corner– not sure what they’re about– are behind me, and I’m moving optimistically into the unknown. “This is a great way to explore your headspace without verbalising it,” Saskia said. “If this were a therapy session, we’d probably explore those creatures.” But for now, I suppose they’re heckling me quietly from somewhere unknown.
The science behind it
“Having a visual representation of feelings takes them out of the body to be inspected from afar; it helps to make looking at difficult stuff easier,” said Saskia. This way, they can be discussed without it feeling too personal. It’s also a great way to get the ball rolling for people who ‘feel’ more than they ‘think’.
It is theorised that the rest of the body holds feelings in the same way as your brain. This is discussed in Daniel Segel’s book MindSight: “The neural networks throughout the interior of the body… send complex sensory input to the skull-based brain. This data forms the foundation for visceral maps that help us have a “gut feeling” or “heartfelt” sense.” We’ve all heard people say you hold tension in your shoulders; similarly, as your body tries to process something without the assistance of your brain, you might feel something inexplicable and difficult to rationalise. Imagine trying to explain a gut feeling to someone– often, there is no logical reasoning for it. When I could feel myself being in the picture, I was accessing my sensory processing parts. This is why creative therapy can be so effective for some people. It skips the reasoning and verbal expression and focuses on bottom up processing (relying on sensory information to form perceptions).
This can also work for busy brains or distressing thoughts. “I sometimes ask clients to associate a card with the part of themselves that they are struggling with. That way we can acknowledge and respect those feelings, as every part of someone is important, but I ask it to take a step back so we can see it better. That way, we can talk without that part overwhelming them.” One theory that explores this is internal family systems, which suggests that we are made up of many parts– or personalities– that have different agendas. Indecision, uncertainty and similar feelings come from these parts pulling in different directions. This is discussed in Richard C. Schwartz’s No Bad Parts; he says “Our parts can sometimes be disruptive or harmful, but once they're unburdened, they return to their essential goodness.” Think of the film Inside Out; inside everyone are emotions with their own opinions trying to run the brain. For visual people, having a physical representation of these parts can help their internal family get closer to harmony.
Of course, this doesn’t work for everyone. “Some people hate it,” Saskia said. “It depends on how your brain works. If you’re used to talking things through and that's how you process things, you might struggle to do it in a more creative way.”
Personally, I loved it. I’m more of an imaginative, ideas-driven person, and I don’t shy away from a creative task. However, I often leave conversations wishing I had said something differently, or remembering a multitude of things I should have told the other person. It seems as though this makes me the ideal candidate for creative therapy. I found it more relaxing, and I uncovered topics in a matter of minutes that I imagine would have taken me weeks to reach in talking therapy.
But… Why Dixit?
As discussed, having a visual representation of feelings or a physical prompt can work wonders for those who prefer nonverbal ways of communication and exploration. This can be done easily without Dixit cards, but something about them makes therapists come back time and time again.
Apparently, some therapists use postcards due to their similarly ambiguous nature, but this poses issues that you don’t get with Dixit cards. “Let's say that certain visual objects cause people stress. It’s impossible to predict what might upset people, and I have had clients struggle to resonate with these visual prompts due to the cards’ subject matter.” Dixit appears to be her solution. “This isn’t a problem with these cards. Each object feels almost purposeful, and are so far from actual scenarios or potential topics that it hasn’t been an issue.”
Similarly, Saskia has found that other therapy cards are directional; some are even labelled with emotions, which means they can be leading. “This has the potential to limit clients’ expression, or intentionally draw on certain emotions. With the Dixit cards, they can be interpreted in so many different ways that they allow the creative control to stay with the client. Plus, the cards feel nice.”
Conclusion
It isn’t just Saskia that likes to work with Dixit cards; apparently, this is common practice among therapists. One of her therapist peers (or ‘thera-peers’... sorry) brought them to her attention, and she hasn’t looked back since. Their purposefully ambiguous art, whilst designed for a multiplayer board game, makes them perfect for other creative uses, and can even help with introspection.
Creative therapy is a very accessible alternative to talking things through; although it’s best to rely on professionals to help, I certainly found it a fun and thought provoking exercise that I would consider doing in my spare time. And therapists, if you haven’t already, maybe you’ll consider some Dixit cards as part of your practice.
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