PLs produced by the participants

Figure 4 shows the PLs produced by the participants. As some parts of the picture include personal information, the images are presented in a low resolution to protect the

participants’ privacy and maintain confidentiality.

*Images shown in Figure 4 are presented in a low resolution to protect the participant’s privacy and maintain confidentiality.

Figure 4. Pictures of life

Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3

Picture 4 Picture 5 Picture 6

Picture 1, which is a cartoon-style drawing in which each box indicates a place and life events, was produced by Mentee 1. The story starts when she was an elementary school student and progresses towards the stage when she was a high school and college student.

Each picture represents places she had visited and relevant keywords describing her life at that time.

Picture 2, which uses a metaphoric approach such that a hand represents life and each finger notes important values, was produced by Mentee 2. Her life starts at the wrist and climbs to each finger as she grew. There is a large ‘river’ in the middle of her hand that divides her hand into two. The river represents a leap in her life. One finger titled

‘unknown’ shows her future.

Picture 3, which shows a mountain with a long flight of stairs filled with life events, was produced by Mentee 3. There are stars and cracks on the way, representing some life events. The stairs are aligned in chronological order with labels, such as ‘high school,’

‘university,’ and ‘work.’ The top of the mountain represents the future, which is shining brightly. There is a large cloud immediately before the peak of the mountain that says

‘unknown, vague, wonder, fear, challenge’, showing her anxiety regarding the future.

Picture 4, which includes a graph and symbols representing life events, was produced by Mentee 4. There are two lines in the graph as follows: one line indicates confidence and life satisfaction, and the other line indicates mental health. Around the graph, there are some symbolic pictures representing important events and life values.

Picture 5, which is a flower with each petal showing past careers, was produced by

Mentee 5. As the center of the flower, she describes the skills and knowledge she acquired

through her past jobs. Two blank petals represent her future. She drew each petal in different colors but said that the colors do not have particular meanings.

Picture 6, which shows a never-ending life cycle in a large round arrow, was produced by the mentor (researcher). The cycle starts before her birth and continues to her childhood, which was spent in European countries, university, graduate school, and her planned future. Some key events are noted next to the pictures. At the center of the picture, she wrote what she values in life.

The PLs were drawn by the mentees prior to the first session and shared during the first session. During the first session, the mentees were asked to describe their drawings by sharing their life stories. The mentees were given a choice whether they wanted to show their PLs first or have the mentor share her PL first. The mentees were given this choice as it was expected that showing their drawing during the first session prior to the

establishment of the relationship between the mentor and mentee could be challenging.

Four mentees shared their PLs first and talked about their life stories. One mentee asked the mentor to share her PL and life story first. As noted in the data analysis in the

following section, some hesitation was observed as the mentees shared their PLs with the mentor (refer to the results in the following sections).

The PL produced by the mentees were creative and unique. As the mentor observed the PLs, she was attracted by each PL and attempted to guess its meaning. However, even though some PLs included detailed information with written descriptions next to the pictures, the PLs were not life stories; the PLs represented symbols and images before the stories were told. Therefore, even after viewing the PLs, the mentor did not know the mentees’ stories.

During the process of telling the life stories, some mentees added more drawings to their PLs as they became aware of more information. It seems that explaining and retelling their stories to the mentor by using a PL led to the recollection of additional memories, thoughts, and feelings.

After obtaining permission from the mentees, the mentor photocopied and kept their PLs as the mentor planned to use the PLs during the following sessions. In fact, the PLs were occasionally used or referenced during the following sessions. As a result, the PLs served as a thread which continued to be referenced throughout the session. Mentee 1 described the PL as a ‘point to return to’ as she reflected on the effects of procuring and reflecting on the PL during the first collaborative reflection. The results of the data analysis

indicated that the PLs helped the mentees connect to the first session without much effort as they viewed their PLs again. Thus, the PLs were used as a tool to remind the mentees of their high points during the first session without any scaffolding process.