Self Mutilation And Art Therapy

Milia examines the effect of art therapy interventions with clients who harm their bodies. Demonstrating how these theories can be implemented in practice, Milia describes examples from her clinical experience, and includes case studies. Her practical book extends our understanding of the self-mutilation concept and how best it may be addressed.

This research addresses the phenomenon of self-mutilation, as practiced by adolescents and adults living in contemporary Western society, as found in the imagery of clients in art therapy, and as performed by artists as part of their body of work. Literature on self-mutilation in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and art therapy is compared to and contrasted with art historical literature on a selection of contemporary performance artists using self-mutilation in their work. The principle aim of this research is to examine the motivations and functions of self-mutilation performed in the contexts of pathology and of performance art. The subsidiary aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between the actor and the viewer, be it the performance artist and the audience, or the client and the therapist. This study uses a theoretical methodology in order to review divergent discourses on acts of self-mutilation performed within different contexts, in the hopes of finding interrelationships between them, thereby contributing to a new perspective on the subject relevant to the field of art therapy. Treatment implications for art therapists explored in this study include the way in which the art making process may aid in overcoming the obstacle of therapist counter-transference towards self-mutilating clients, and facilitate the resolution of unconsciously driven acting out behavior. The relationship between self-mutilation and ritual informs a discussion on the parallels between ritual space, contained within established cultural boundaries, and transitional space, contained within the art therapeutic frame, and how both offer conditions favorable for transformation.

Abstract: Self-mutilation has been described as being one of the most difficult issues to address in therapy, and as one of the most traumatic and emotionally draining for the therapist. It is most common in teenage girls and women, and often emerges during adolescence. It often becomes a lifelong problem for many individuals, with treatment being difficult to find for these individuals. Many therapists will turn them away, or the client may be embarrassed or reluctant to seek treatment. There are various emotions that accompany this behavior, as well as additional high risk behaviors that must be addressed in treatment. Among treatment options available to these individuals is art therapy. It addresses the nonverbal level of communication that these individuals feel, and then encourages verbal associations to images. It is less threatening and empowers the individual by giving them control over their creative expression. Two case studies are presented, demonstrating the effectiveness of art therapy with self-mutilating adolescents in residential treatment. It has enabled them to become more active participants in their treatment and encouraged verbal processing and associations to images, revealing repressed feelings and traumatic experiences.

This research paper undertakes the beginning steps of an intervention model for use in residential facilities. The value of art therapy with adolescent girls who struggle with self-harming behaviors is addressed through a contemporary lens, and the suggested interventions were created within the frame of a solution-focused approach. The review and analysis of literature surrounding group art therapy with female adolescents, the specific issues encountered by female adolescents and those who self-injure, the role of mindfulness, and considerations regarding attachment needs, will provide support for the concept of a self-care themed art therapy group for female adolescents. A psychodynamic perspective will be used to understand the experience of adolescence and group session dynamics in art therapy. The structure of the art therapy group intervention will be described, including duration and session content, and sample art directives and group rituals are suggested through which the theme of self-care may be explored.

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a baffling, troubling, and hard to treat phenomenon that has increased markedly in recent years. Key issues in diagnosing and treating NSSI adequately include differentiating it from attempted suicide and other mental disorders, as well as understanding the motivations for self-injury and the context in which it occurs. This accessible and practical book provides therapists and students with a clear understanding of these key issues, as well as of suitable assessment techniques. It then goes on to delineate research-informed treatment approaches for NSSI, with an emphasis on functional assessment, emotion regulation, and problem solving, including motivational interviewing, interpersonal skills, CBT, DBT, behavioral management strategies, delay behaviors, exercise, family therapy, risk management, and medication, as well as how to successfully combine methods.

Drawing on Freud's and Winnicott's work on psychoanalysis and play, R.M. Simon illustrates the healing power of art-making with the drawings and stories of seven-year-old Joe, who succeeds in overcoming the trauma of family break-up by expressing his emotional turmoil outside the formal therapeutic process.

A seminal work on treating self-mutilation, revised and updated with illuminating case studies and newly available resources. Nearly a decade ago, Cutting boldly addressed a traumatic psychological disorder now affecting as many as two million Americans and one in fifty adolescents. More than that, it revealed self-mutilation as a comprehensible, treatable disorder, no longer to be evaded by the public and neglected by professionals. Using copious examples from his practice, Steven Levenkron traces the factors that predispose a personality to self-mutilation: genetics, family experience, childhood trauma, and parental behavior. Written for sufferers, parents, friends, and therapists, Cutting explains why the disorder manifests in self-harming behaviors and describes how patients can be helped.

Professionals working in a range of clinical settings are regularly called upon to work with angry clients, and they may find their skills and resources for working with this powerful emotion limited. Art Therapy and Anger demonstrates how the non-verbal medium of art therapy provides an ideal outlet for the expression of thoughts and feelings that are too complex and painful to put into words, presenting a new and practical approach to dealing with this area of need. Marian Liebmann argues that clients of all ages will benefit from the art-making process, which helps them to slow down and consider their emotions more calmly. The tangible product of their efforts allows clients to assess and react to what they have depicted, providing a lucid and safe framework for better understanding the causes and effects of their anger. This book draws together contributions from art therapists who work in a wide variety of contexts, including work with offenders, mental health clients, clients with brain injury and those with cancer, with the view of helping clients to manage their anger more constructively. This positive, practical volume will be of great interest to art therapists and students, as well as practitioners working with angry clients in various fields such as mental health, probation, counselling and medicine.