Avenues of Hope: Art Therapy and the Resolution of Trauma

Abstract This paper describes a method for using art therapy with adolescents in crisis. A model developed for the study defines four trauma stages and associated art therapy goals. They are Stage I, Impact—Creating Continuity; Stage II, Retreat—Building Therapeutic Alliance; Stage III, Acknowledgment—Overcoming Social Stigma and Isolation Through Mastery; and Stage IV, Reconstruction—Fostering Meaning. An example of the application of the paradigm is presented through a case study, including the art therapy approaches and method for assessing the artwork and art processes across the continuum of these stages. It is found that hope is experienced through art and generative processes. The author draws on research conducted on an intensive care burn unit to develop a new paradigm for understanding crisis and trauma through art therapy (Appleton, 1990).