HOUSE-TREE-PERSON INTERPRETATION
QUALITATIVE APPRAISAL
FRAME OF REFERENCE
1. Branches of Tree, over-extended upward and outward mirrors subjects strivings for
achievement.
2. Large Head – intellectual need; dependence on thinking as a satisfaction source.
3. Long or Muscular Arms drawn out of proportion to rest if person may serve as a need
for compensatory physical prowess; acquisitive need.
4. High placement on form page in drawing HTP suggests over-striking commensurate
need with interpretation of high level of aspiration.
5. Large House containing Few Rooms and depicted by number of windows suggest need
for autonomy and emancipation from parental control or escape from constricting
domestic or marital situation.
6. Tree drawn on a hill might symbolize strivings, autonomy and need for superiority. When
drawn by itself on top of a hill, may resent a feeling of isolation as if the tree is
interpreted by the subject as exposed and vulnerable to attacks by the elements.
7. Too long Legs or lack of leg - need for autonomy and independence.
DEPENDENCY
1. Large door – very dependent on others. By his details through which direct contact with
environment to compensate for strong withdrawal tendencies.
2. Over-emphasis of breast on female drawing implies maternal dependence needs on the
subject’s part, oral criticism, self-consciousness of no one’s breast.
3. Fruit Trees (apple tree mainly) drawn by children with dependency needs on the part of
the subject.
4. Midline emphasis, over-importance to buttons – shown dependency needs on the part of
the subject.
5. Ground line sells up like breast on either side of HTP indicate mother figure.
SECURITY
1. Windows against walls of house so that aide of the house serves as window side,
implies feelings of insecurity.
2. Shrubs, grass, flowers, used to a limited green suggest insecurities, excessive marked
degree of anxiety usually free-floating.
3. Ground line upon which HTP rests is a need for security. Subject’s need to structure
their drawing serves to provide stability for drawn whole as a compensation for inner
feelings of insecurity.
4. Bottom of page as ground-line relfection of subject’s insecurity
5. Sketch or sketchy reinforced line quality often times function of insecurity
6. Absolute symmetry both horizontally and vertically indicate need for inner balance and
insecurity.
TRAITS
1. Drawings placed on the left may indicate impulsivity, seeks immediate frank satisfaction
of needs and drives to the right may be intellectual control.
2. Rigidity – flexibility
a. Over-meticulous drawing each brick, item detail-obsessive compulsive
b. Straight branches - rigid in seeking gratification activities
c. Rigid arms, rigid straight drawing lines – rigidity
d. Full-face presentation of all tree whole – rigid
e. Drawing exact center – rigid
f. Free-flowing lines, curve – indicates flexibility
g. Ability to change concepts drawn, to erase, improve upon drawing – subjects
adaptable and flexible nature.
EVASIVENESS
1. Refusal to accept page in position presented but turns the page
2. Abandonment of an incomplete whole with resumption of drawing elsewhere on form
page without erasure
3. Refusal to complete whole without resumption of drawing elsewhere
4. Refusal to attempt to draw
STRENGTHS
1. Adequate number of doors, windows, good size – bespeak accessibility of personality
2. Shutters open or partly open in house drawing – implies ability to handle interpersonal
relations tactfully
3. Wide pathways leading to house or open doors – reflect accessibility or open sociability
4. Person drawn full face, inviting countenance, relaxed arms, imply friendliness, warmth
and accessibility.
5. Peripheral freely drawn HTP without emphasis on reinforcement implies accessibility.
ANXIETY
1. Excessive, irrelevant detailing
2. Shadows drawn by HTP
3. Clouds – anxiety to environmental relationship
4. Faint hesitant lines
5. Excessive shading, non-profuse, extensive dark and diffuse the more extreme the
anxiety
DEPRESSION
1. Drawing of the HTP low on page, reduced in size, too low—either depression or
insecurity
2. Lack of many details, incomplete whole faint illness. Combination found deeply
depressed,
EROTIC OVEREMPHASIS
1. Difficulty in drawing chimney
2. Windows drawn without panes – may represent oral and/or anal minor, sexual
preoccupation and conflict.
3. Tree depicting trunk penetration with leafy structure represents minor, sexual
preoccupation and conflict also disturbance in heterosexual role
4. Nook of person over emphasis – reflects between intellectual control and expression of
bodily drives which may be sexual in nature.
5. Waistline overemphasis strong conflicts between expression and conflicts between
expression and control of sexual impulses.
6. Omission of lines that would close pelvic area between person’s legs or transparencies
of hips or breast through clothes – indicative of sexual conflict and disturbances.
7. Consistent erasures and redrawing of any whole involves a phallic like protrusion e.g.
chimney, shoes, nose – symbolizes sexual conflict.
8. Over exaggeration of proportion of breasts, hip, buttocks or legs suggest sexual
preoccupation.
HOSTILITY AND AGGRESSION
1. Attic windows reopen – implies hostile fantasy which causes person’s guilt.
2. Windows drawn without panes, curtain, or shutter
3. Tree which consist of a looping line representing tree branch structure and enclosed at
trunk base (thus resembling a key hole) – shows poor organization of resources for
seeking from the environment.
4. Sharp pointed fingers and toes, teeth – aggressive tendencies
5. Sharply squared shoulders- person overly defensive with hostile attitudes
6. Well outlines but shaded hair – suggest hostile fantasy concerning sexual matters
7. Drawing too large for page – indicates feeling of great frustration produced by a
restraining environment. Desire to act aggressively either against environment or self or
both.
INADEQUACY AND INFERIORITY FEELING
1. Too large trees next to house – feelings of inadequacy and dependency towards
authority figures
2. Tiny trees – subject wants to withdraw because of inferiority feeling
3. Overly formed branch structure with dwarf tiny trunk
4. Tiny shoulder of a person
5. Too small hands and arms – express helplessness
6. Arms extended forward or outward hopelessly from side as if asking assistance
7. Chopping off drawn person’s foot by bottom
ORGANICITY
1. Marked symmetry of drawing
2. Drawing of house initially being but ends like a blueprint
3. One dimensional tree of stereotypes, primitive and simplified form
4. Dangling tree roots in an otherwise fairly well-preserved drawings
5. Excessive time consumption to complete drawing
PSYCHIC TRAUMA SCARS
1. Broken windows, dangling shutters, twisted steps, missing shingles
2. Broken branches, dead, distorted or tree scars on trunk
PSYCHOTIC FEATURES
1. Traility contact – house now all, a baseline or suspended without line
2. Tree with open base
3. Tree with rootlines which make tension contact with groundline or whose roots rests on
ground surface and do not penetrate
4. Overemphasis upon roots that enter ground – implies a great need usually
compensatory to maintain grasp of reality
5. Large or heavy feet, excessively wide tree-base – reflect fear of possible loss of reality
contact and compensatory strivings
6. A person seemingly on tip toe occasionally to symbolize tenuous contact
PARANOID
1. Talon like roots do not enter the ground
2. Emphasis on eyes
3. Hat brim low over eyes glancing upward
4. Back of person toward viewer
5. Absolute profile in which only one leg or arm is visible probably pathological and suggest
paranoid reaction
HOUSE
The house represents yourself. The more faceted the house, the more sides there are to your
nature. Windows and doors show how open you are. If there is a knocker or doorknob, this
show although you appear to be open, there are barriers between you and others. A chimney
represents the outlet of emotions. If you do not include one, probably you restrain your
emotions. Smoke coming out from the chimney shows release of emotion or tension
Projecting cove lines on house Tendency to be evasive and defensive and usually
suspicious towards home members
Drawing of house initially begin but Organicity
ends like blue print
SIZE
Tiny but well drawn house Has feeling of inadequacy to the hostile environment
PLACEMENT
Drawn to the side of the page Shows insecurity
PERSPECTIVE
Façade present (main front of Shows reflecting or fear of revealing self, secretive,
building) shows hostility towards environment
DOOR OF HOUSE
Adequate number of doors/windows Accessibility
Door knob Dependency need
WINDOWS
Emphasis upon window locks Over-defensively fearful of danger
Bare, without curtain or shades nor Interact with those in his environment in an overly blunt
crosshatching and direct fashion
Reinforcement of window outline Oral fixation or oral character traits
(similar reinforcement does not occur
elsewhere in the drawing)
Windows against wall of the house so Feeling of inferiority
that side of the house serves as
window’s side
POSITION
Leaning to the left Has need for emotional satisfaction
ROOF
Roof reinforced by heavy line Pre-psychotic ; occurs with a lesser extent of anxiety;
attempting to defend himself from the threat of fantasy
breaking away from control
WALL OF HOUSE (related to the degree of ego-strength in the personality)
Thick side of wall Schizoid
TREE
The tree and bush represents emotions. The amount of detail (leaves, flowers, and so on) and
the fullness of the tree or bush show the extent of emotions. If either the tree or the bush are
completely bare, this signifies. The positioning of both is also important and shows the direction
of emotions –close to the house shows emotion directed at self; close to the pond shows
emotion towards the father; close to the path is regarding ambition.
POSITION
Leaning to the left Has need for emotional satisfaction
KIND
Too large tree next to the house Subject’s feelings of inadequacy and dependency upon
authority figures
TRUNK (represents subject’s feeling of basic power and inner strength)
Tiny trunk Shows inadequacy
BARK
Scars in the tree Shows castration fears
Heavy inconsistently drawn bark Shows hypochondrichal tendency
Well-drawn bark Shows good ego integration, well balance
BRANCHES
One dimensional branch Feelings of impotence, futility and lack of ego strength;
presence of organicity suspected
Two-dimensional branches and Little control over the expression of one’s impulses
unclosed at the end
Club-like or spear-like with Intense and ready impulses of hostility and aggression
excessively sharpened points at the
ends, or appears to have barb-like
thorns along their surface
Straight branches Rigid in seeking gratification acts
Overly formed branch structure with Inadequacy and inferiority feelings
tiny trunk
LEAVES or FOLIAGE
Leaves really drawn Has an obsessive desire for something
ROOTS
Tree with thin root lines which make Psychotic features
tenuous contact with the ground line /
overemphasis on roots
PERSON
Silhouetted figure or shaded figure Depersonalization
Back view of the person Withdrawal
Absolute profile in which only one leg Paranoid relations
or arm visible
HEAD
Round lollipop head Immaturity
Head without features Depersonalization
HAIR
Without hair Social sensitivity or impotence
ARMS and HANDS
Long and muscular arms Need for compensatory physical power (acquisition
needs)
Arms extended forward and outward Helpless, looking for assistance
SHOULDER
Sharply squared shoulders and Overly defensive; hostile attitude
prominent teeth
FEET
Tip toe Tenuous contact with reality
EROTIC and MIDLINE EMPHASIS
Neck of the person overemphasized Strong conflict between intellectual control and
expression of bodily drives which may be sexual in
nature
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Sun Signifies the mother image. The size of the sun and its
proximity to the house shows how strong is the
influence of the mother. When the chimney smoke
points out towards the sun it implies strong ties with
your mother.
Pond Represents the father image. The size and closeness
of the pond to the house shows
