Cloudette Williams

Applied Counseling: Pre-adolescent

Child Counseling Technique

Drawing Out The Real and Ideal

Drawing out the Real and Ideal is a technique that illustrates in a very concrete manner Carl Rogerss idea
of the conflict between a persons actual life and their idealized vision of what they would like life to be
like. The task for the therapist is to understand childrens views of themselves and to work with them to
develop new understandings and possibilities.

Real The real self represents where a person is presently in her life. Who we actually (really) are. How
we think, look, feel and act.

Ideal The ideal self represents all that a person wants to be (E.g. his/her dreams, hopes, aspirations,
etc.). This is a fully functioning person. Where the person see him/herself. (Self-actualization).
Drawing out the Real and Ideal is applicable to both schools and clinical settings and are relevant for
varied age groups. This technique can be used with most children above age 5, up through the adult
years.

Pre-Instructions to Therapist
1. Experience suggests that most children/clients are able to complete the task in one session,
however bear in mind that some children/clients will need to complete the task in chunks or in
more than one session.

2. It can be very tempting to explore issues as they arise in the process but it is much better to wait
until the task is completed. Make a mental note of things you might like to return to, and wait
until the whole task is complete.

Instructions for the technique

1. It is vital that the client is allowed to develop his/her own flow during the session, so a
quiet, private place is essential.

2. Supply the client with a large blank piece of paper, preferably white or buff in colour.

3. Offer them whatever type of drawing tools you have available: coloured pencils, crayons,
markers, pastels, charcoal, paint pencils all are good options.

4. Ask the client to draw his or her real self on one side of the paper.

5. When the drawing is completed, turn the paper over and ask the client to draw his/her
Ideal Self .What you wish your "Real self looked like. Say something like, now lets
Cloudette Williams
Applied Counseling: Pre-adolescent
Child Counseling Technique

have a look at the kind of person you would like to be like. Think about what s/he might
be like. (Clarify this isn't a real person, it could be from your imagination).

6. Once both drawings are complete, discuss the drawings with the client.

7. Questions that can prompt discussion include but are not limited to:

i. Describe this person you would like to be.

ii. What kind of person is he or she?
iii. What is his or her personality like?
iv. What is the single biggest difference between the two pictures?
v. What is one way you can make the real self more like the ideal self?
vi. Whats stopping you from being like the ideal self all of the time?

References
Advanced Techniques for Counseling and Psychotherapy
By Dr. Christian Conte, PhD
Counseling Children and Adolescents: Connecting Theory, Development, and ...
Edited by Sondra Smith-Adcock, Catherine Tucker
Kelly, G. (1955). The Psychology of Personal Constructs. Vol. I and II. London, Norton
(Reprinted by Routledge 1990)

Websites
http://drawingtheidealself.co.uk/drawingtheidealself/Downloads_files/Prompt%20Sheet%20Dr
awing%20the%20Ideal%20Self%20-
%20A%20Personal%20Construct%20Technique%20to%20Explore%20Self%20Esteem.pdf

http://drawingtheidealself.co.uk/drawingtheidealself/Downloads_files/Drawing%20the%20Ide
al%20Self%20June%202013%20-
%20A%20Personal%20Construct%20Technique%20to%20Explore%20Self%20Esteem.pdf

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1359104501006004016

http://ct.counseling.org/2015/04/assessing-ideal-versus-real-family-characteristics-with-adolescents/