What is collage therapy, and how is work with magazine cut-outs used in therapy? Read why it suits people who cannot draw, common themes and its limits.
During the big clean before a religious holiday, old magazines, brochures and postcards emerge from the top of the wardrobe. Most of us pause to leaf through them before throwing them away; a photograph, a colour or a word catches our eye, and without knowing why, we set it aside. Collage therapy starts from exactly this "it caught my eye" moment. Images cut from magazines, coloured paper and words are arranged on a sheet; the resulting board can make visible things a person cannot yet say about themselves. In this article we explain how collage is used in psychological support, why it can be a particularly suitable starting point for people who say "I can't draw", the themes commonly used and the limits of this kind of work.
What Is Collage Therapy?
Collage is an art form created by bringing together pieces taken from different sources on a single surface. When it is used in the context of psychological support, the aim is not to make an aesthetically beautiful board, but to bring feelings and thoughts out into the open through the process of choosing, cutting and arranging.
Let us clarify one point from the outset: "collage therapy" is not a separate, independent school of therapy. Collage is one of the techniques used in art-based work and usually sits within a broader therapeutic framework. In this article we use the term "collage therapy" to mean the use of collage within a therapeutic relationship.
If you are curious about the general framework of art-based work and the other techniques, our article on art therapy techniques may be a good place to start.
What sets collage apart from other techniques?
In drawing, a person creates something from scratch; for some, the blank page is daunting. In collage, the material is already there. The person chooses from existing images. This small difference changes the emotional load of the work: the worry "Will I be able to draw it properly?" falls away, and its place is taken by the question "Which one speaks to me?" What is more, if you do not like a piece you have cut out, you can set it aside and try another in its place; the fear of making mistakes is felt much more lightly than in drawing.
Why Can Collage Help? A Doorway for People Who Cannot Draw
The sentence adults most often say when they encounter creative methods is "I can't do art." For someone who has not picked up a paintbrush since primary school, a sheet of paper and some pastels can feel like an exam they are about to be marked on all over again. Collage offers a middle way that eases this anxiety.
Several reasons why collage can be valuable in psychological work can be listed as follows:
- It reduces skill anxiety. Because the images are ready-made, the pressure to produce something "beautiful" is reduced.
- Choice becomes a language. Why you chose one image and left another is material that can be talked about in its own right.
- It provides distance. Instead of saying directly "I am lonely", a person can put a photograph of an empty bench on the board. This indirect form of expression can help them approach difficult feelings from a safer distance.
- The person stays in control. Pieces can be moved, added or removed. It is possible to try things out before gluing; this can be reassuring for people with a strong need for control.
- It brings things together. Bringing pieces that seem disconnected onto a single surface can offer an experience of making sense of a period that feels scattered.
In collage nobody expects you to draw anything; all you need to do is notice which piece speaks to you.
Edith Kramer, one of the pioneers of art therapy, emphasised the value of the process of creating itself rather than the interpretation of the work. Collage can be read in this light too: leafing through pages, pausing, choosing and arranging is a process in which a person spends time with their own inner world, whatever the result.
Honesty is needed here: broad and robust research examining the effect of collage on its own is limited. Although reviews of art-based approaches generally report promising findings, most of the studies have small samples and are methodologically limited. For this reason, collage should be seen as a supportive tool; it should not be presented as a treatment method in its own right.
How Does a Piece of Collage Therapy Work Unfold?
Every piece of work varies according to the person and the stage of the process. Even so, we can say that collage work usually involves the following steps:
- Looking at the materials: On the table there are magazines, newspapers, coloured paper, scraps of fabric, scissors and glue. The person may first be asked simply to leaf through the pages; there is no rush.
- Choosing: Images that catch the eye, appeal or feel uncomfortable are set aside. There is no need to think about "why" here; choosing intuitively is enough.
- Cutting or tearing: Some people cut carefully, others prefer to tear the edges. Both are valuable; this preference can also be talked about later.
- Arranging: The pieces are tried out on the paper and moved around. Some go to the centre, some to the edges; some overlap.
- Gluing and finishing: When the person feels ready, they fix the pieces in place. If they wish, they add something with a pen or write a title.
- Talking: The resulting board is discussed through the person's own observations. Questions such as "What do you notice first when you look at this board?", "Which piece draws your attention most?" and "What might that image at the edge be saying?" help the meaning to be discovered together.
Why does the choice of materials matter?
The variety of magazines on the table affects how freely the work can unfold. A pile made up only of fashion magazines can squeeze the person into a particular image of body and lifestyle; a range of images such as nature, cities, food, animals, handwriting, maps and abstract patterns opens up a wider space for expression. Having images that show people of different ages and cultures also makes it easier for the person to find something close to themselves. Sometimes even a single word or one letter can end up at the centre of the board. In online sessions, newspaper supplements, supermarket leaflets, old calendars and wrapping paper from the person's home are also easy-to-find, valuable materials.
In this process the professional does not impose interpretations. Sentences such as "This red area shows your anger" are not used. The person who made the board decides what it says.
Common Themes in Collage Therapy
Collage work can be free or follow a theme. The theme is chosen according to the topic the process is focusing on.
"My life right now"
The person is asked to gather on a board the period they are living through, their everyday life, their relationships and their feelings. Let's say someone who describes feeling adrift in the first year of retirement fills their board with calendar pages, an empty kitchen table and an image of a bird gazing into the distance. These images can open up for conversation the feeling of "days losing their meaning" that they find hard to put into words.
Inside and outside
One side or one half of the paper is set aside for "the me others see" and the other for "the me nobody sees". This theme can be used, particularly with teenagers and adults, to talk about the difference between the face shown to the world and the inner world.
A year from now
The person is asked to show in images the kind of life they would like in the future. Although this exercise may look like a "vision board", the aim is not to force positive thinking; worries and obstacles are allowed onto the board alongside wishes.
What drains me, what nourishes me
The paper is divided in two: on one side, things that drain energy; on the other, things that do you good. This theme can be a concrete starting point for planning small changes in daily life.
A map of a relationship
The person represents themselves and the important people in their life with images and shows the distance between them on the board. It can be used to talk about family relationships, one's place within the extended family or a growing distance from someone close.
Collage with a group or a family
Collage is not used only in individual work. In a group, everyone preparing separate boards on the same theme and then placing them side by side can help participants notice their similarities and differences. In a shared family collage, it is the process rather than the resulting board that is talked about: who used how much of the paper, whose piece was glued on top of whose, who found it hard to voice their opinion? These observations can be a starting point for talking about communication patterns within the family without judgement.
Who Might Collage Therapy Suit, and What Are Its Limits?
Collage is a flexible technique with no age or skill barrier. It can be used with simple, colourful materials with children, with music or film images with teenagers, and with more abstract themes with adults. It can be a good starting point for people who struggle to express themselves in words, who say "I don't know what I feel" or who shy away from drawing.
That said, some limits should be kept in mind:
- Collage is not a test. Personality or a diagnosis cannot be inferred from the images chosen for a board. Generalisations such as "someone who chooses dark images is depressed" are not valid.
- Strong feelings can surface. An image can trigger an unexpected memory or feeling. That is why, especially with topics such as trauma or grief, it is important that the work proceeds slowly and within a safe framework.
- It may not be enough on its own. Collage is a tool that complements talking therapy; it does not replace the assessment of mental distress and, where necessary, treatment.
- The work belongs to the person. The board is kept, photographed or shared only with the person's explicit permission; with children, the child's own consent is sought as well as the parents' permission.
Trying Collage at Home: The Difference Between Self-Care and Therapy
Collage is an activity that can easily be tried at home too. Setting aside an afternoon for yourself with some old magazines and a pair of scissors can be relaxing. If you would like to try it, the following suggestions may help:
- Focus on the process, not the result; the board does not need to be "beautiful".
- You can choose a theme or leave it completely free.
- When you have finished, look at the board for a few minutes and ask yourself: "What do I notice? Is there anything that surprises me?"
- If you like, write the date and whatever is on your mind on the back of the board.
- If a difficult feeling rises, you can stop; you do not have to finish the work.
If you are making a collage together with your child, try being curious rather than commenting on their choices. Saying "Will you tell me about this corner?" instead of questioning "Why is this here?" leaves the child room to decide whether they want to explain. Asking your child before sharing their board on social media is also a small but important sign of respect.
However, a collage made at home is a self-care and creative activity; it is not therapy. What makes the difference in therapy is not so much the material itself as the fact that what emerges is made sense of within a safe relationship, together with a professional.
When to Seek Professional Support, and How Is It Approached in Therapy?
Creative activities do many people good; but in some situations it is important to speak to a mental health professional:
- Unhappiness, anxiety or lack of motivation lasting for weeks
- Being unable to recover after a loss, a separation or a traumatic event
- Marked, long-lasting difficulty recognising or expressing feelings
- A marked deterioration in sleep, appetite, work or school life
- Thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life
If the last point applies, call 112 (emergency services) without delay. The other signs do not in themselves amount to a diagnosis; but they deserve to be assessed.
In psychological support, collage is one of the tools that can be used especially at points where conversation gets stuck. For example, in individual therapy, within a structured framework such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a "what drains me, what nourishes me" board can offer concrete ground for talking about changes that could be made in daily life. Collage and similar tools are used at the person's own pace, with the meaning discovered together. We explain the general logic of art-based work separately in our article what is art therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to be talented to make a collage?
No. One of collage's greatest advantages is that it does not require drawing skills. The images are ready-made; what matters is noticing which piece speaks to you and placing it.
Do the images I choose say something about me?
The images you choose can start a conversation about your feelings and thoughts in that moment. However, personality or a diagnosis cannot be inferred from them. What they mean can only be understood by talking about them with you.
Can collage be done in online sessions too?
Yes, collage is one of the techniques best suited to online work. The magazines, newspapers, scissors and glue you have at home are usually enough. The finished board can be shown to the camera and talked about together; whether you keep it is up to you.
Does digital collage do the same job?
Putting images together on a computer or phone can also be a way of expressing yourself. That said, physical experiences such as cutting, tearing and arranging paper by hand are different in a digital environment. You can find out which suits you better by trying both.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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