128 9 Slovakia  Creative, expressive techniques in competence diagnostics and enhancement Ivana Listiakova 1 Creative, expressive techniques in competence diagnostics and enhancement E xpressive techniques have their basis in therapeu- tic ields of psychotherapy, art, music, drama and other expressive therapies. The term “therapy” might have a connotation of being used with clients (patients) who are sick, have a disorder or a disability. Nevertheless, the usage of creative techniques serves for self-development and self-healing of anyone involved in the process. For these reasons I ind it important to start with an introduction about my background which gives a shape to an approach towards clients and the us- age of expressive techniques. Therapeutic Education in Slovakia Slovakia has got a very speci ic ield of study that does not exist in other countries in this form. We translate it as “Therapeutic Education”. In German it would be “Hei- lpädagogik”, in Hungarian “Gyógypedagógia”. However, it has got a diferent content compared to Hungary where the pedagogues study to be special teachers and therapists as well and they choose a ield focused on a speci ic disability. In Slovakia, there are special educators, who are teachers for special schools, or they do assessments and re-education, correction, etc. And then, there is the ield of therapeutic education that prepares students to become therapists. Therapeutic pedagogues can work, e.g.: in the school system, as professional pedagogical employees (together with school psychologists and school special educators); in the social care system, in social care institutions with people with disabilities, mental health vulnerability, or with elderly patients; or in children homes; in the health care system in early intervention, at psy- chiatry clinics, or as supportive therapists in hospitals; in their own practice (after gaining quali ications for opening a private oice); or as psychotherapists (after completing an addi- tional psychotherapy training and being registered in the Slovak psychotherapy association). The focus of therapeutic education is on a person in a dif- icult l ife situation who needs support in development and self-employment. The main principle is a holistic approach to clients, perceiving them as human beings in their environment in the context of their strengths and vulnerabilities and their relationships with them- selves, the others and the world. Respect and values are an inherent part of therapeutic-pedagogical work. The therapist must have an attitude of deep respect towards the clients, regardless their disability or way of thinking. Our work is in supporting clients’ competenc- es in all areas of life. The authors (Moor, 1974; Speck, 1998; Horňáková, 2007) of philosophy of therapeutic education say, helping means being close. It is also necessary to work in a multidisciplinary team. It becomes a cliché in the area of helping professions to say we need to work in a team. But it has not been transferred to practice fully, at least not in Slovakia. In our qualitative research that was based on inter- views with primary education teachers, we found out that teachers at schools think they work in a team. What actually happens is that when they meet a col- league in the school corridors they talk and discuss the issues they have with a problematic child. Informal talks can be considered a irst step towards establ ish- ing a team. Or they talk about the child with a school psychologist. And then in the afternoon they talk to the parents and give them advice or assignments of what to do with the child at home. They feel that when parents listen to them and work with the child at home, they are cooperative. Not many teachers have an expe- rience of working on a team based on partnership of all parties – regular meetings of all participating sides – teachers, psychologists, therapists, school directors, and the parents meet and discuss issues together, they set goals and regularly check on the process together. They are all partners in the process without hierarchy of anybody being an expert. Suggestions of the parents are as accepted as those of the professionals. Parents trust the teachers that they know what they are doing in the educational process. It is very important to learn from examples of good practice that exist in some institutions. Inclusive education that respects difer- ences provides opportunities for each person to de- velop their skills. Expressive techniques, from the point of view of therapeutic education, ofer a chance for self-devel- opment. I would like to present the concept of salu- togenis, which is crucial to the understanding of clients in the way expressive methods approach them. An- tonovsky (1996) talks about salutogenis in the context of medical health care. He explains his understanding of health and sickness, or disease. He plays with words and says that a disease is not an illness in the common perspective but just a lack of wellbeing, dis-ease. Our task as doctors or therapists is to help people to feel at 1. Contact: Mgr. Ivana Lištiaková, PhD. Institute of Social Sciences and Therapeutic Education Faculty of Education Comenius University in Bratislava Račianska 59, 813 34 Bratislava ivana.listiakova@gmail.com Tel.: +421 908 548 339