Anna Coyle

Exploring Art Therapy to Aid in Grounding for Survivors of Trauma

Abstract

This study explores how art therapy can help those experiencing symptoms of trauma merge their past selves with their present selves to develop the ability to move forward in their lives. The research done for this paper covers the current literature on trauma, traumatic dissociation, the current public health crisis of COVID-19, the effects of isolation on mental health, art therapy’s relationship to treating trauma, and techniques for staying grounded in the present moment, often helpful for survivors of trauma. An art therapy task that was originally done to help those with combat-related PTSD was replicated by the researcher and applied to her experience living amidst the current public health crisis of COVID-19. In this study, the goal of the task was to combine the past self (before the traumatic event) with the present self and create a new worldview and self-concept.

Trauma and Art Therapy

The practice of creative art therapies has been recently used more and more when verbal psychotherapy has failed to help clients (Lev-Wiesel, R., & Kissos, L. (2019). A primary issue in treating those experiencing the effects of trauma is managing sensory experiences related to the traumatic memory that do not fade over time (Lev-Wiesel, R., & Kissos, L. (2019). Studies have suggested that some traumatic memories are stored nonverbally (Gantt & Tinn, 2009; Langer, 2011; Talwar, 2007) and may be retrieved through recollections of sensory, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements (Langer, 2011).

Art therapy can access trauma recollections by engaging the senses and has been hypothesized to bring order to traumatic experiences. It does so by creating links to nonverbal memories so that dissociated memories may be organized and processed in a meaningful way (Gantt & Tinnin, 2009). It can be seen as a safe approach to revisiting and discussing traumatic memories by providing externalization and creating an emotional distance through the materials used to make art and the art itself. The finished artwork or the process of creating can then be used as a tool to approach discussion around triggering memories. Art therapy can facilitate the expression of memories, feelings and emotions, and therefore improve self-reflection and the development and practice of new coping skills (Hass-Cohen, N., Bokoch, R., Clyde Findlay, J., & Banford Witting, A. (2018).

Conclusion

Art therapy is a beneficial treatment for survivors of trauma because the use of materials acts as a non-threatening way to fill in memory gaps of trauma and bring dialogue to the sometimes unapproachable experience. The process of using art to talk about traumatic memories proves to be a successful method in coping with the symptoms of trauma and provides strong coping strategies for the patient to use in the future. With the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19, isolation and a new excess of worries has resulted in a higher demand for trauma treatment. The original focus of this thesis, to explore how art therapy can help survivors of trauma merge their past and present selves, did not find enough evidence in the literature or in the author’s experience to come to a conclusive point. Because of the fruitful treatment of trauma symptoms, the author recognizes opportunities for further study. Follow-up experiments should be set up as in the original study, with a group discussion of the visual narratives. The repetitive reciting of the trauma in group led to a better understanding of the traumatic events and how to cope with them. In the future, researchers and practitioners may incorporate grounding techniques before/after all or some of the sessions to make the treatment more effective. Different groups with varying traumatic experiences and symptoms can be studied to examine the applicability of this exercise.

Figure 2: image of the researcher at present, during covid-19.