Art Helps Heal Trauma

For many years, the conventional understanding of trauma and healing has largely centred on verbal therapies, supported by extensive research and evidence. While these established methods offer undeniable value, a deeper, more fundamental path to healing has always existed. This alternative approach taps into practices deeply ingrained in human nature, embracing the power of storytelling, art, music, and dance. STARTTS’ recent Clinical Masterclass, Incorporating Art in Therapy to Achieve Therapeutic Outcomes with Torture and Refugee Trauma Survivors explores how art therapy can offer a profound way to approach and process trauma, featuring insights from featuring Robert Gray, a psychologist and seasoned art therapist alongside STARTTS’ Child and Adolescent Counsellor and Art Therapist Shima Sadeghi.

Robert believes trauma isn’t solely defined by an event, but by how we process our thoughts and feelings about it. He highlights that traditional short-term therapies often fall short for those deeply affected, as healing is a patient journey toward integration, remembering the event without its debilitating emotional pain. Art therapy facilitates this by allowing physical expression when words fail, helping to break through emotional blockages. This tactile engagement can naturally lead to emotional release and, eventually, intellectual understanding. Robert customises his approach to art materials based on the client’s emotional state; for those who are numb, he offers messy, emotional materials like wet paint, while for highly emotional clients, he provides controlling tools like coloured pencils. This balancing act helps clients find internal equilibrium. A truly remarkable aspect is how the unconscious always projects into the artwork, offering a powerful outlet for what needs to surface, even when clients are unwilling or unable to verbalise it.

Expanding on these foundational principles, Shima Sadeghi, a Licensed Marriage and Family Art Therapist at STARTTS, shares a moving case study of Ali, a 9-year-old Iranian boy. Ali’s early life was marked by six years in a detention centre, an absent father, and a mother emotionally impacted by her own trauma, leading to his struggles with aggression, anxiety, and social engagement. Shima’s work with Ali beautifully demonstrates how art provides a crucial pathway to healing. She established a safe and structured environment, using techniques like scribble drawing as a consistent, grounding ritual. This simple act allowed Ali to assert control and symbolically process his profound sense of loneliness and helplessness, which he revealed through a powerful drawing of a figure overwhelmed by “rain all over the place.”

Shima’s therapeutic intervention focused on helping Ali progress through the Expressive Therapy Continuum, moving from sensory engagement towards more cognitive and symbolic understanding. Through continued art-based sessions, Ali gradually gained the ability to name and express his complex feelings of grief and loneliness, articulating them through colours and symbols. This process highlights how art can facilitate emotional regulation and self-awareness, especially when words are difficult. Crucially, Ali’s journey extended beyond individual sessions, with his mother joining in joint art-based therapy, rebuilding trust and strengthening their attachment. Shima’s powerful reflection on holding onto hope, even when faced with the cycles of trauma, underscores the belief that consistent, positive relational experiences within a safe space can profoundly alter a child’s emotional trajectory.

Both Robert Gray and Shima Sadeghi offer unique perspectives on the profound healing potential of art therapy. Their combined insights provide a powerful argument for integrating creative approaches into trauma-informed care.

Ready to delve deeper into these transformative art therapy techniques and hear more compelling case studies?

Watch the full recording of this insightful Clinical Masterclass with STARTTS.