From the author: I would like to share my experience of observing and conducting group art therapy in a psychiatric clinic in Germany. This is a series of stories about specific cases that I found interesting from the point of view of revealing the meaning and principles of art therapy. This article deals with the importance of material in art therapy and especially direct contact with the material in the work. I'll be glad to answer your questions. 48-year-old patient N. with severe depression was reluctant to participate in group art therapy. Outwardly, she looked like she was half asleep, with very slow reactions; undoubtedly, the effect of the medications also affected her. She complained that everything was very difficult for her, she thought very slowly, her thoughts were confused and she was completely disoriented. She said she had never drawn and had no idea how she would handle it. Nevertheless, she conscientiously tried to carry out the tasks of the art therapist. She had no ideas of her own and redrew postcards or other images. The style of her drawings was so different, as if they were drawn by completely different people. Her drawings were not authentic, they were imitative. The patient herself was completely dissatisfied with either the drawings or herself. She took almost no part in conversations and did not tell anything about herself. Sometimes she could not do anything at all and simply watched the actions of other patients. One day she was sitting next to a patient who was working with clay. Next to him stood a bowl with slip (clay diluted with a creamy consistency for gluing the parts together). The patient began to thoughtfully slide her finger along the edge of the bowl, as if stirring liquid clay. These were rhythmic movements of the finger in a circle. At the same time, patient N. remained in a kind of meditative state for quite a long time. We did not interfere with her, but only observed. During a discussion of her work at the end of the hour, patient N. suddenly spoke about the memories of her childhood, about her strict and cold parents. In the parental home everything was regulated, expression of emotions was prohibited and sterile cleanliness reigned. She spoke haltingly and hesitantly at first, but seeing the support of the group and therapists, she became more and more courageous. This was the first time she said anything about herself. Without a doubt, contact with the material – clay – helped her in this. It awakened early repressed traumatic memories that were probably so strong that they forced her to speak out. In the next hour of therapy, she was asked to draw a self-portrait on a large sheet of paper, without a brush, but directly with her fingers. She drew with both hands at once. First she drew the contours of the face, which she then smeared all over the sheet. It was quite obvious that smearing paint on paper gave her great pleasure. The result was a complete mess of a gray-dirty color. The patient, however, was not at all embarrassed by this; she was obviously pleased with her work and noticeably cheered up. She already understood that in the group any result of activity, whatever it may be, is recognized and considered. When the picture was ready, she put it on the floor to dry. And then, without noticing, another patient stepped on her. We all expressed our regret that the painting was damaged. Patient N. said it’s nothing, it’s just what’s needed. According to her, this touch only made her painting more authentic. Perhaps the reader will have a question: “How can one take and discuss such “painting” seriously? Isn’t that pretty?” Who said that depictions of traumatic events have to be beautiful? The task of art therapy is to create conditions for a person to express himself: the atmosphere of an ideal family is practically simulated. If the patient has a feeling, he really depicted his feeling, experience, then that means it is so. Who, besides him, knows this better? Us.