About The Forest Test And Its Place In Psychoanalysis

Obstacles and irritations that take away our happiness, ingrained fears, values ​​that guide our choices and behavior. The forest test attempts to clarify and interpret many of these problems based on the approach from which it was designed: relational psychoanalysis. According to this theory , our psychological disorder is rooted in underlying issues that we must bring to light in order to heal the pain and move forward. In this article we will tell you about the forest test.

For those who have not heard of the forest test, we should first say that it is by no means conventional. The forest test does not have enough reliability and validity to be part of normal clinical practice. However, we cannot rule out its relevance within the context and the theoretical framework from which it was created. It is without a doubt worth considering.

Relational psychoanalysis

Relational psychoanalysis is a way of performing a modern type of psychotherapy, which has advanced psychoanalysis as we know it. The main purpose is to promote human emotional development. To do this, it must deal with the obstacles and blockages that limit us and cause pain. In this approach, and just as an example, the classic id, ego and superego concepts are added to one side.

What a relational psychotherapist wants to do is “rebuild” the patient. With this in mind, he will guide him so that he can interact with and relate to his environment in a healthier way. He will train him to be able to observe the world fearlessly from all angles. In addition, he will help him travel to the darker areas of his mind that he has never dared to move into before. Because of this, the forest sample is a good springboard where one can begin to get to know the patient’s underlying characteristics.

What does the forest test assess, and what is its origin?

The forest test, instead of assessing competence or ability, aims to look at a person’s emotional world. On our website, we have already talked about the so-called projective tests on more than one occasion. One such example is the tree test or the family drawing test. These are mainly psychological instruments that serve to complement an evaluation.

On their own, and used exclusively, they can never be a valid form of evaluation. Other strategies are needed, such as interviews, observation and other psychological tests with proven reliability and validity. All this is to reach an adequate diagnosis, or a starting point to start the procedure from. Within the relationship psychoanalysis approach, this test is used more than any other for the following reasons:

• It reveals the emotional state of the patient.
• It allows us to see possible unresolved childhood conflicts, and the burden of the past in the human present.
• You can see strategies for improvement.
• It provides strong values.
• Important people in the patient’s life are revealed.
• It brings out the person’s fears
• It shows their personal desires and expectations.

About the forest test – The forest as a tool in psychoanalysis

The forest is a scenario with a very clear mystical-emotional component in any culture. Carl Jung himself explained this in his book “The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious” . He showed that in these scenarios you can find out the hidden dangers and fears in our lives. In a way, the journey through them sometimes means a return to the past where we rediscover the deepest part of our beings.

In psychoanalysis, the forest is considered a reflection of the subconscious. It is the symbolic relationship that sometimes manifests itself in our dreams, where many of our phobias arise. These include fear of darkness, sinking or falling into a hole, or fear of insects or wild animals.

How is the forest test used?

The forest test starts with a visualization. The therapist guides the patient in each question, and then points to the conclusions that come from their answers. The test is simple. All that is needed is to create a comfortable and safe environment so that the person can perform the inner journey naturally.

The first step is to invite the patient to visualize a forest. A quiet setting surrounded by trees, where the patient walks alone. When they can see themselves there, the analyst will ask the following questions:

• Are the trees very scattered? Is it a dense, distorted forest or is it a certain order?

• Can you walk with ease, or do you have to overcome many obstacles?
• Is it day or night?
• Is the forest healthy or is it burnt down or dying?
• As you walk along the path, you will find a key. What do you want to do with it?
• Keep walking and you will meet an animal. What animal is it? Does it threaten you? Are you afraid to approach to pat it? You then come to a cabin. You knock on the door and someone opens it. Who is that person?
• Finally, visualize yourself inside this cabin. You are inside and everything has suddenly disappeared. Everything is empty in a few seconds, because you arrive somewhere else. Tell me where the place will be. Tell me what you see and how you feel.

Conclusion on the forest test

The questions that make up the forest test can give shape to a very revealing inner journey. If the patient cooperates and performs the exercise effectively, and feels involved, the analyst will receive a lot of useful information.

We can get an insight into their emotional state by the shape and condition of that forest (if it is burnt out, if it is night, etc.). We will be able to see the hidden fears, the most important people in his life, and their most important scenarios. This information, combined with interviews and other tests, can be of great benefit to relationship psychoanalysis therapists. We hope you now know a little more about the forest test and how it can be used.