How can food be used as a medium in expressive therapy?

Food is in no doubt intimately related to our psychological well-being in various aspects, and hence the purpose of this research is to explore this delicate relationship to discover whether it has the potential to become a part of a therapeutic experience.

Based on Gestalt Psychology and inspired by sandplay therapy, the methodology of this project was to provide the participants with an environment to create an image corresponding to their inner selves with various food ingredients. The following process of cooking acted as a metaphor of transforming these self-reflecting images into another kind of energy that could be taken back into their bodies through eating.

Asking the participants to eat the self-reflecting images that they created was aimed to encourage and provoke a better self acceptance.

“Change occurs when you become what you are, not when you try to become what you are not.” —- Arnold R. Beisser