“Initially I thought the art therapy sessions were useless. I really didn't want to go. Then after a year I began making great strides. I started to open up more to others, to be more emotional, to express my ideas. I began to see my life in colour, instead of just grey. I am more controlled now.” (Federico Gentile)
This paper is based on an interview with 13-year-old Federico Gentile (pseudonym). He has had weekly individual art therapy sessions for two years. Art therapy began fifteen months after he began living with his adoptive parents.
Trauma can be defined as the rupture of a boundary on many different levels (physio-logical, psychological, social). A common thread throughout the sessions was the testing and re-pairing of boundaries. The therapist herself found it necessary to break two boundaries: giving the user a gift and integrating Somatic Experiencing (SE) techniques from outside our field…
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