House–Tree–Person Art Drawing Workshop to Improve Family Emotional Health and Reduce Divorce Risk
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64008/jdpp.v2i1.49Keywords:
divorce risk, divorce prevention, family emotions, family well-being, House–Tree–PersonAbstract
This community service program was conducted on October 25, 2025, in Kepenuhan Hulu Village, Rokan Hulu Regency, with the participation of 20 village cadres. The program aimed to strengthen family emotional awareness and reduce the risk of marital conflict by introducing the House–Tree–Person (HTP) art-drawing technique as a reflective tool. Using a workshop format, participants engaged in guided drawing activities, small-group discussions, and facilitator-led reflections to explore emotional dynamics within family relationships. Pre- and post-session reflections were used to assess changes in participants’ understanding of emotional expression and early signs of family stress. The workshop results indicated that participants showed increased awareness of emotional cues, improved confidence in using the HTP method for community counseling, and enhanced skills in identifying potential indicators of marital strain. Participants also reported that the method was practical, culturally adaptable, and suitable for use in village-level family guidance programs. This community service activity demonstrates that creative and expressive techniques such as HTP drawing can serve as effective early-intervention tools to support family well-being and reduce the risk of divorce in rural communities.
References
Akan, Y. (2021). Investigation of the effect of the "violence reduction psychoeducation program" on anger, violence and aggression levels of students. International Journal of Progressive Education, 17(1), 513-533. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2020.329.32
An, Q. (2025). The impact of art-based interventions on emotional regulation in chinese children with autism: A drawing therapy approach. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06727-w
Archibald, M., & Blines, J. (2021). Metaphors in the making: Illuminating the process of arts-based health research through a case exemplar linking arts-based, qualitative and quantitative research data. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1609406920987954. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920987954
Arjona, H., & Van Lith, T. (2025). Transformative connections: Exploring relational art therapy in a women’s prison. Art Therapy, 42(1), 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2024.2354630
Astuti, F. H. (2024). Pengaruh teknik art therapy terhadap emosi marah pada siswa kelas VIII di SMPN 5 Praya. Realita: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling, 9(1), 2301–2307.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative psychology, 9(1), 3.
Choudary, S. S., Khan, M. L., & Atta, N. (2024). Emotional distress, communication patterns and relationship dissatisfaction among married couples. Research Journal for Societal Issues, 6(3), 01-22. https://doi.org/10.56976/rjsi.v6i3.2
Chutiyami, M., Cutler, N., Sangon, S., Thaweekoon, T., Nintachan, P., Napa, W., ... & River, J. (2025). Community-engaged mental health and wellbeing initiatives in under-resourced settings: A scoping review of primary studies. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16, 21501319251332723. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251332723
Coholic, D., Eys, M., Shaw, K., & Rienguette, M. (2023). Exploring the benefits of an arts-based mindfulness group intervention for youth experiencing challenges in schooling. Sage Open, 13(3), 21582440231192111. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231192111
Fabris, M. A., Lange-Küttner, C., Shiakou, M., & Longobardi, C. (2023). Children's drawings: evidence-based research and practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1250556. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1250556
Galassi, F., Merizzi, A., D’Amen, B., & Santini, S. (2022). Creativity and art therapies to promote healthy aging: A scoping review. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 906191. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906191
Guo, H., Feng, B., Ma, Y., Zhang, X., Fan, H., Dong, Z., ... & Gong, Q. (2023). Analysis of the screening and predicting characteristics of the house-tree-person drawing test for mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in psychiatry, 13, 1041770. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1041770
Hafeez, H. T., Loona, M. I., & Nawaz, A. (2025). Effect of communication patterns and emotional distress on relationship dissatisfaction among married individuals. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 40(1), 135-154. https://doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2025.40.1.09
Harasym, J. A., Gross, D. P., MacLeod, A. A., & Phelan, S. K. (2024). “This is a look into my life”: Enhancing qualitative inquiry into communication through arts-based research methods. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 23, 16094069241232603. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241232603
Hassan, M. H. H., & Syazwan, M. S. S. (2022). Intervensi art therapy: Satu pendekatan kaunseling. Cendikia, 6(2), 120–129.
Liu, L., Chen, C., & Li, S. (2025). Efficacy of cognitive behavioral group counseling in enhancing the psychological resilience and academic emotion of urban primary school students. BMC psychology, 13(1), 189. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02472-y
Lyu, Z., Ouyang, S., & Zhang, S. (2025). How drawing practice enhances distress tolerance in university students: The mediating roles of psychological resilience and self-disclosure. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1540900. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1540900
Macía, L., Saratxaga, I., Álvarez-González, A., Iraurgui, I., & Estévez, A. (2025). Gambling disorder and romantic relationships: The role of positive communication and emotional dysregulation in couple satisfaction. Journal of Gambling Studies, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10410-1
Malboeuf-Hurtubise, C., Léger-Goodes, T., Mageau, G. A., Taylor, G., Herba, C. M., Chadi, N., & Lefrançois, D. (2021). Online art therapy in elementary schools during COVID-19: Results from a randomized cluster pilot and feasibility study and impact on mental health. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 15(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-021-00367-5
Mardiansyah, I., Sumardjo, Sarwoprasodjo, S., & Herawati, T. (2025). Beyond victimhood: Rethinking communicative resilience and child transformation after parental divorce in Indonesia. Frontiers in Sociology, 10, 1668368. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2025.1668368
Naslund, J. A., Kalha, J., Restivo, J. L., Amarreh, I., Callands, T., Chen, H., ... & Pathare, S. (2021). Identifying challenges and recommendations for advancing global mental health implementation research: A key informant study of the National Institute of mental health scale-up hubs. Asian journal of psychiatry, 57, 102557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102557
Putri, T. H., Fradinta, A., & Juliansyah. (2024). Art therapy: Drawing pada pasien dengan masalah keperawatan waham. Jurnal Kesehatan Primer, 9(1), 1–9.
Russell, K., Rosenbaum, S., Varela, S., Stanton, R., & Barnett, F. (2023). Fostering community engagement, participation and empowerment for mental health of adults living in rural communities: A systematic review. Rural and remote health, 23(1), 1-13.
Sahai, S., & Tiwari, P. (2025). Art therapy and social-emotional competence: An intervention© for adolescents. Art Therapy, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2025.2571242
Simons, K., Mendrek, A., Piché, J., Bernier, M., Léger-Goodes, T., & Malboeuf-Hurtubise, C. (2025). Promoting the mental health and well-being of vulnerable youth through art: An ethnographic evaluation of an art-based intervention for rural Canadian youth. BMC psychology, 13(1), 182. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02476-8
Sandberg, B. (2024). Outcomes of art-based leadership development: A qualitative metasummary. Behavioral Sciences, 14(8), 714. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14080714
Santillo, G., Morra, R. C., Esposito, D., & Romani, M. (2025). Projective in time: A systematic review on the use of construction projective techniques in the digital era—beyond inkblots. Children, 12(4), 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12040406
Syam, R., Jamil, N. A. Q., Tahir, F. S. H., & Febriani, P. (2023). The effectiveness of art therapy as a therapeutic method in reducing children’s mental trauma in broken home adolescents. Journal of Correctional Issues, 6(2), 479–486.
Wang, H., Chen, S., Gou, W., & Han, X. (2025). Impact of sports interventions on aggressive behavior among adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1697324. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1697324
Ward, P. R., Puspitasari, R., Rose, A., Gebremariyam, B. S., & Fauk, N. K. (2025). Understanding HIV-related mental health challenges and contributing factors among Indonesian adolescents living with HIV. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(1), 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010083
Waryanti, D. R. (2023). Reading art therapy practices as a media for the distribution of mental wellbeing in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Visual Culture, Design, and Cinema, 3(1).
Wyder, S. (2025). A quantitative validation of a qualitative phenomenological art-therapy cross-cultural study. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1530433. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1530433
Xu, J., Lin, R., Zhang, A., Chen, Q., Li, D., Chen, J., ... & Huang, G. (2025). AI-assisted drawing therapy for children with ADHD: A randomised controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 103262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103262
Zhang, B., Wang, J., & Abdullah, A. (2024). The effects of art therapy interventions on anxiety in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Clinics, 79, 100404.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jurnal Dedikasi Pengabdian Pendidikan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.


