Drawing as a means of communication at the initial interview with children with cancer

Cancer is always associated with distress and fear. In working with children who have cancer, a trusting relationship and meaningful dialogue often cannot be established by talking on its own. Drawings may offer an opportunity for children to express their feelings without giving up resistance completely. This paper summarizes the aims of the first interview with an ill child, one of its main purposes being the evaluation of the children's and their family's resources to cope with the strains of the illness. The meaning of drawings in this process is discussed in two case reports.