What is therapeutic photography, and how can family albums and the pictures you take help you understand your feelings? Read about its methods and limits.
An old album taken out of your grandmother's cupboard during a bayram (religious holiday) visit, your childhood self looking back at you with an unfamiliar smile from a faded photograph... Some photographs open, in a few seconds, a door that months of talking would not. Therapeutic photography is the general name given to approaches that build on this effect, using taking photographs, looking at them and talking about them as a means of understanding oneself. In this article we look at what is meant by therapeutic photography, how photographs can be used in a therapy setting, exercises you can try at home and the limits of this method. You do not need a professional camera or technical knowledge; the phone in your pocket and a little curiosity are enough.
What Is Therapeutic Photography?
Photographs do not only record a moment; they also show how we saw that moment, what we put inside the frame and what we left out. Therapeutic photography rests on the idea that these choices offer an opportunity to talk about a person's inner world.
A distinction is sometimes made in the field between two uses:
- Using photographs within therapy (also referred to as phototherapy): This means talking about photographs that the client brings or takes, during sessions with a mental health professional. Here the photograph is a tool within the therapeutic relationship.
- Photography activities with a therapeutic purpose: This means a person taking photographs and reflecting on them, on their own or in a group, in order to express themselves, notice things or relax. This is not therapy; it is a creative self-care activity.
For a general framework of how creative tools such as photographs, drawing and clay are used in psychological support, see our article what is art therapy.
This distinction matters. A photography exercise you do on your own may do you good; but it does not replace a therapeutic process carried out with a professional.
Why do photographs "get us talking"?
Some feelings freeze when asked about directly. The question "What was your relationship with your mother like?" can be brushed off with a short "fine". But looking at a photograph in which your mother is holding you in her arms, the question "What do you feel in this photo?" can bring completely different answers. A photograph places a concrete object between you and the thing to be talked about; this distance sometimes makes talking easier.
Which Photographs Are Used in Therapeutic Photography?
There are different ways of working with photographs. Which one is chosen depends on the person's needs and the subject they want to talk about.
Family albums and old photographs
Childhood photos, family gatherings, weddings, bayrams... These photographs can prompt thoughts about relationships within the family, roles and who stands close to whom. Questions such as "Who is missing from this photo?" or "Why am I always standing next to my mother?" can start a new conversation about the family's story.
Photographs others have taken of you
Seeing yourself through someone else's eyes is an interesting experience. In some photos you may not recognise yourself; in others you may say, "That's me." These differences can help you talk about the relationship between how you perceive yourself and how others see you.
Photographs you have taken yourself
What you photograph, and what you photograph again and again, can also say something. Do you always photograph the sky, always crowds, or are there never any people at all? None of this carries a meaning on its own; but it can be thought-provoking when discussed with you.
Self-portraits
Photographing yourself deliberately, in a way that reflects a particular feeling or state, is another of the ways used. For example, taking one photo titled "my tired self" and another titled "the self I want to be" can make the difference between these two states concrete.
Photographs that are not yours
Choosing a few that draw you from among photographs in magazines, on postcards or online is also a starting point. Thinking about why you chose this photo can draw attention to something going on inside you at that moment.
Working with photographs in a group
Photography activities are sometimes carried out in groups too. For example, participants take photographs on the same theme, let's say the idea of "home", and share them with one another. Seeing the same word turn into completely different images for each person can be a warm way of noticing differences and listening to others' experiences. Sharing in a group is always voluntary; no one is pushed to show a photo they do not want to show.
How Are Feelings Explored Through Photographs?
At the heart of therapeutic photography lies the idea that a photograph has no "correct" interpretation. What a photograph says is discovered by the person looking at it. A professional, or someone around you, does not impose an interpretation such as "You look unhappy in this photo, so your childhood must have been hard"; meaning emerges together, through questions.
Some questions that can be asked when working with photographs are:
- What is the first thing you feel when you look at this photo?
- What do you remember about the day the photo was taken?
- Is there someone or something that is not in the photo but that you wish were?
- If you could say something to the person in the photo now, what would you say?
- Whom would you want to show this photo to, and whom would you want to hide it from?
Let's say a woman in her thirties, going through albums after her mother's death, notices that in almost every photo her mother is looking at the camera rather than at her. What she notices might open a conversation about a feeling of "not being seen" that she has carried for a long time. What matters here, however, is that this meaning is built by the person herself, not by the photograph. The same photograph might say something entirely different to someone else.
A photograph does not change the past; but it can help us see where we are standing as we look back at it.
Thousands of photos on our phones
Today most of us have thousands of photos on our phones; yet we rarely go back and look at them. In the past, because a roll of film had a limited number of frames, every photograph was a choice. Now we can take the same moment dozens of times and leave all of them in the gallery without ever looking. From the point of view of therapeutic photography, this abundance can also be an opportunity: going back in your gallery to the same month last year can make you notice what you were busy with at that time, whom you spent time with and what has changed. Which photos you delete and which you take care to keep is also a detail worth thinking about.
When Can Therapeutic Photography Be Used?
Working with photographs can support reflection on many different subjects. Some of them are:
- Grief and loss: Photographs of someone who has died can make it easier to share memories of them and express what was left unsaid. We discuss the different faces of grief in our article on the grieving process.
- Identity and transitions: Thinking about the difference between the "old me" and the "current me" during periods such as moving house, migration, retirement or becoming a parent.
- Family relationships: Talking about roles, closeness and distance through family photographs.
- Body image: With people who find it hard to look at photographs of themselves, understanding the thoughts behind this difficulty.
- Reminiscence work with older people: Old photographs can be a warm way of talking about the past with an older relative and building a connection. We also cover this subject in our article on reminiscence therapy.
Many people who lost their homes in the 6 February 2023 earthquakes have said that what saddened them most was the loss of their family photographs. This shows that photographs are not just pieces of paper to us; they carry our identity and our sense of belonging. Grieving for lost photographs is also an experience that deserves to be talked about.
Therapeutic Photography Exercises You Can Try at Home
The exercises below are not therapy; they are creative activities that may help you observe yourself. If difficult feelings come up, do not hesitate to take a break.
- Five photographs of a week: Every day for a week, take a single photograph that sums up that day. At the end of the week, lay the five side by side and ask yourself: if I gave this week a title, what would it be?
- A letter to a childhood photo: Choose a photo from your childhood. Write a short letter to that child from who you are today. What would you want to say, and what would you want to ask?
- The place I love, the place I struggle: Photograph a corner of your home or neighbourhood that relaxes you and a corner that makes you tense. Note down the difference between the two in a few sentences.
- Your hands: Photograph what your hands are doing during the day: brewing tea, on the keyboard, brushing your child's hair. What do these small moments tell you about your day?
- An album conversation: Look through an old album with an older family member and only ask questions. You may hear different sides of stories you thought you knew.
When doing these exercises, the photograph does not need to be "beautiful". A blurred, crooked or ordinary shot can also say something. What matters is not technique but noticing.
Privacy and sharing
The photographs you take and your thoughts about them belong to you. You do not have to share this work on social media; sharing can change the process by bringing in the expectation of likes. If there are other people in the photographs, especially children, their privacy also needs to be respected.
What Are the Limits of Working with Photographs?
Photographs are powerful tools; that is exactly why they need to be used with care. Some limits worth knowing are:
- A photograph is not evidence. Smiling in a photo does not show that you were happy that day, and looking glum does not show that you were unhappy. A photograph is only a small slice of a moment.
- A photograph cannot be used to diagnose. It is not possible to reach a judgement about someone's mental health by looking at the photographs they take or choose. A photograph is a tool for starting a conversation.
- Memories are reconstructed. What we remember when looking at a photo is often mixed with stories told about that photo afterwards. This does not mean memories are worthless; it simply means we should not treat them as a precise record.
- It may not suit everyone. For someone who has been through a severe trauma, encountering certain photographs may be overwhelming rather than supportive. For this reason, working with photographs of a distressing nature should be done not on your own but with a professional, and at a time when the person is ready.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Working with photographs can sometimes stir up unexpectedly strong feelings. An old photo can revive a memory or a grief that has long been pushed down. You might consider speaking to a mental health professional in the following situations:
- If looking at old photographs leads to intense sadness or anxiety lasting for days
- If avoiding certain photographs or memories is restricting your life
- If you have been unable to recover for a long time after a loss or a shocking event
- If looking at your own image causes you intense distress
- If there is a marked deterioration in your sleep, appetite or daily functioning
These signs do not amount to a diagnosis on their own. But talking to a professional can help you work through these feelings within a safe framework. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call 112 (emergency services) without waiting.
How Are Photographs Used in Therapy?
In a process of psychological support, photographs can be used as aids that start or deepen a conversation. For example, in individual therapy a client might bring a photograph that is meaningful to them to a session; relationships, memories or feelings can be discussed through that photograph. This work is carried out within an evidence-based therapy framework and with respect for the client's pace.
At this point it is important to be honest about the scientific evidence: systematic research on therapeutic photography and phototherapy is quite limited. The method can be described as a creative tool that many professionals find useful in clinical experience; however, its effectiveness as a stand-alone treatment has not been demonstrated. For this reason, photographs should be thought of not as the therapy itself but as one of the tools that can be used in therapy.
Some principles observed when working with photographs are:
- The client decides what the photograph means; the professional does not impose an interpretation.
- Photographs brought to sessions are confidential; copying or keeping them depends on the client's explicit permission.
- When working with photographs that may revive distressing memories, the pace is slow, and each session ends with a safe closing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to know how to take good photos for therapeutic photography?
No. The aim here is not to produce an aesthetically pleasing photograph but to notice things about yourself through the photograph. An ordinary snapshot taken on a phone and an old, blurry family photo can be equally valuable.
Are phototherapy and therapeutic photography the same thing?
These terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Broadly, phototherapy refers to using photographs in sessions with a mental health professional, while therapeutic photography describes photography activities a person does on their own or in a group to express themselves.
I can't look at photos of a loved one who has died. Is this normal?
Finding it hard to look at photographs in the early stages of grief is a common experience. You do not need to force yourself; over time you may become able to look. However, if this avoidance continues for a long time and restricts your life, talking to a professional may help.
Is looking at the family album with my child good for them?
Many children approach their own baby photos and family stories with curiosity. Looking at an album together can be a warm moment of sharing that supports a sense of belonging. Answering your child's questions and listening to what they tell you matters more than the photographs.
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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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