Reimagining Attachment Traumas: Perspectives on Using Image-Making in Psychoeducation for People with Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

Integrating arts-based practice within psychological interventions has been widely used to increase accessibility and cultural sensitivity and to enable emotional communication and expression. However, using arts within psychoeducation for people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) where attachment trauma has led to interpersonal difficulties has been less well-documented. This chapter intends to illustrate the experience of patients and facilitators in a mentalization-based psychoeducational programme being delivered in adult mental health services. We will look at the relevance of how images are used to embody relational struggles and how they are used to work through themes of anticipated attachment trauma. We then describe narratives of a 12-week arts-based psychoeducational programme from both the patient and professional perspectives. We conclude that arts-based mentalization focused psychoeducation is a valuable resource for preparing patients with a diagnosis of BPD for further treatment where attachment injury is central to the presenting issues.