The making of mess in art therapy: Attachment, trauma and the brain

The image, mentalisation and group art psychotherapy

“…When the mind of the other is not seen to reflect nor understand the mind of the 'I', failed ''mentalisation'' takes place, and the meaning and language of distress remains uncommunicated, which is a re-capitulation of their trauma from a non-mirroring care-giver/attachment figure. O'Brien (2004) citing the work of Wright (1991) and Winnicott (1967) reminds us that it is the 'mothers face that is the first emotional mirror', 'it is through her reflection that the child is able to know their own emotions'.…”

Yes, but there can be no quick fix—A reply to Irvine Gersch and Susana Sao Joao Goncalves

“…Published case studies record some of the successful work in other fields with children suffering from a variety of disorders: Rabiger (1990) autism, severe learning difficulties; Vaserhelyi (1990) mutism; Sagar (1990) physical and sexual abuse; Case (1990) rejected children; Boronska (2000) sibling relationships; O'Brien (2003O'Brien ( , 2004 child abuse. Inscape, volume 3, no.1, 1998 was a theme issue devoted solely to art therapy with children and adolescents with articles by Aldridge, on loss and neglect; Murphy, on sexual abuse; Evans, on autism; Case, on the image in assessment; Welsby, on complex needs.…”

Liminality, art therapy and childhood sexual abuse

“…If survivors of childhood sexual abuse are liminal personae, and liminal personae are perceived as dirty and polluting, then Damaged Goods Syndrome can be understood as an internalisation of primitive and deeply rooted cultural anxieties about people who do not fit the usual social categories. Liminality also helps us to understand some of the behaviours that sexually abused children typically show in art therapy (for examples, see Murphy, 2001;O'Brien, 2004;Sagar, 1990). If liminal personae are associated with dirt and pollution, repetitive mess-making and cleansing rituals offer our clients a way of expressing, containing and responding to the dirty feelings they have taken inside themselves.…”