Who would study psychology unless they had some issues?!
Chapter 337 - 335: Different Colors

Chapter 337: Chapter 335: Different Colors

An important issue for patients with anorexia nervosa is that they do not perceive their current state as a problem.

Even though their bodies have negative reactions due to dieting, they don’t feel like their lifestyle needs to be corrected, nor do they believe they need psychological consultations.

In psychological consultation, this is called a "lack of self-awareness."

It’s extremely challenging to consult with these visitors merely through dialogue.

Therefore, Nan Zhubin needs to use non-verbal intervention techniques to activate the visitor’s creative expression, thereby bypassing their language defense mechanisms, and use metaphors, symbols, or body perceptions to visualize abstract issues.

Ultimately, allowing the visitor to realize their own problems.

The "sandplay therapy" used for Chen Ting once is a great method.

However, considering Li Mingchen’s problem stems from anorexia nervosa, there are more appropriate techniques that can be used.

...

"Body Map?"

Li Mingchen repeated Nan Zhubin’s words, expressing doubt about the term.

The Body Map technique belongs to the scope of expressive art therapy, integrating ideas from humanism and cognitive behaviorism.

This technique can bypass language defenses while externalizing the visitor’s internal experiences, and concretely present the bodily signals that the visitor has long ignored.

It’s suitable for psychological problems and diseases that cause somatization symptoms.

"Yes, Body Map." Nan Zhubin nodded.

He pointed to the paper and pen on the table.

Step one.

"First, I need you to draw yourself on this paper."

Li Mingchen blinked: "Draw ’me’?"

He seemed to feel this task was too difficult for him.

Nan Zhubin nodded, explaining: "You don’t have to draw in detail; just ensure there’s a head, torso, and limbs, similar to a simple human structure diagram."

These words carried some humor, and Nan Zhubin laughed along, making Li Mingchen relax a bit more.

"If you really can’t think of anything, you can even draw a stick figure. As long as the human structure is complete and can display some of your characteristics."

Pointing out the lowest standard—the "stick figure"—was also a way to give Li Mingchen some relief.

Indeed, Li Mingchen exhaled slightly, hesitantly taking the paper.

He touched pen to paper, but the tip didn’t move, leaving only a black dot on the white paper.

Then he raised the pen again, hovering in mid-air, seemingly pondering.

Then again, he lowered it, but the tip still didn’t move.

After repeating several times, fully three minutes passed without Li Mingchen drawing anything.

Nan Zhubin patiently waited.

A lack of drawing for a long time could be understood as inner solitude, emptiness, or lack of self-awareness.

While Li Mingchen’s current actions represented another possibility.

"Contradiction," or "conflict."

The repeated attempts to start followed by restraint indicated he subconsciously wanted to draw a certain image, yet another inner voice told him not to draw it.

It’s good news, better than Nan Zhubin initially expected.

This indicates that at the very least, there are multiple dimensions of cognition within Li Mingchen. After all, cognition is necessary for conflict.

After waiting about thirty seconds more, Li Mingchen seemed to have sorted out the conflicting thoughts in his mind and began drawing.

He drew a figure not much more detailed than a stick figure.

"Great, we’ve completed the first step. You’ve drawn ’yourself’ on paper."

Nan Zhubin gave full support to every bit of progress made.

"Now, let’s move on to the next step—"

Nan Zhubin rummaged beside him, taking out prepared tools.

Three watercolor pens.

In blue, green, and red.

He first handed the blue pen to Li Mingchen.

"Firstly, we’ll use blue to fill in your ’body,’" Nan Zhubin said, "Blue represents your ’strengths.’ Which part of your body do you feel has the least issues, is the strongest?"

The body’s strengths are often something that requires little thought, thus Nan Zhubin chose this as the first step in exploring the Body Map, hoping to quickly familiarize Li Mingchen with and engage him in the process.

Once he heard the question, Li Mingchen didn’t respond as decisively as expected.

He picked up the pen and colored a small patch on his arm.

He didn’t fill in the empty spaces.

"I... have quite strong strength, so that’s a strength, I guess."

This is something Li Mingchen had mentioned during the last psychological assessment with Nan Zhubin.

"Strength in the arm? Why not fill it completely? There are still many gaps left here." Nan Zhubin directly pointed this out.

His intention was to use this question to get Li Mingchen to explain his previously hesitant state.

"Strength is indeed a strength, but..." Li Mingchen answered accordingly, thinking to add, "But I’ve also not sure if this strength is due to me being too fat. And now that I’ve rested for so long without training, the strength must have declined..."

Upon reaching this point, he cleared his throat, as if there was something uncomfortable inside: "If it were two months ago, I surely would have filled the arm completely."

Nan Zhubin blinked.

He glanced at the expressions on Li Mingchen’s face and saw something interesting.

"Eyes directed downward or avoiding eye contact with me."

"Tight mouth corners."

"Frowned eyebrows."

These micro expressions can be interpreted in numerous ways.

But Nan Zhubin didn’t initiate a confrontation or make any evaluations at this stage.

"Okay, now let’s proceed to the next step."

"Next, I want you to recall the day you flipped over the railing due to low blood sugar," Nan Zhubin said softly.

"And then, use red to color the parts where you felt discomfort at that time." As he said this, Nan Zhubin handed over the red watercolor pen.

Li Mingchen cleared his throat again, then squirmed uneasily on the sofa, adjusting his sitting posture.

"Pupils dilated a bit, it’s a memory... wait, refocusing... dilating again?"

"This is an alternating state of focus and dispersal."

"Not just the eyes, the eyebrows too."

"Alternating between a furrowed and relaxed brow, indicating a contradictory reaction in ’layers’..."

Watching Li Mingchen ponder for a while, then uncapped the red pen.

Then he colored a small area on his head with red.

He colored "a bit," still not filling it completely.

"Why did you color here?" Nan Zhubin asked.

"At that time my head was very dizzy, and I lost consciousness," Li Mingchen replied, "So here felt the most uncomfortable."