In Harriet Wadeson’s stages, which term describes content that remains the same over time?

• A. Permanence
• B. Imagery
• C. Decrease defenses
• D. Spatial matrix

Answer: (A)

Permanence describes content that remains the same across different drawings and sessions, signaling a stable theme, symbol, or pattern in the client’s experience. In Harriet Wadeon’s framework, spotting enduring elements helps therapists identify underlying issues or persistent self-structures that persist despite changes in form or detail. If a particular image, symbol, or topic keeps reappearing over time, it points to a central aspect of the client’s inner world that therapy may focus on. Imagery refers to the actual images used, not their persistence over time; the spatial matrix concerns how elements are arranged on the page; decrease defenses is about the therapeutic process of reducing defenses, not about content stability.