This practice paper demonstrates an art therapy session that revealed the internalized monstrous and demonic identities amongst those who have sexually offended. Several of the participants represented their shadow-self as: (1) nebulous demonic self-representations, (2) internalized monstrous selves as hurtful or uncontrolled, or (3) a dichotomy…

This article illustrates an art activity for use in psychotherapy with children or adolescents. The purpose of the activity is to utilize creativity to increase problem solving for child clients and to allow their narratives to expand therapeutically. The processing of the activity allows the art to be transformed into language, thereby involving…

Disclosures of child sexual abuse create an immediate crisis within the child's family unit. Reactions of nonoffending caregivers in particular may prevent them from being emotionally available to respond immediately to the needs of the child victim. This article describes an art therapy intervention of visual mapping used in a support group of…

This article describes the clinical practice of two male art therapists and their work with male adolescent sex offenders in a residential treatment facility. The authors share experiences of working with clients who, in addition to being offenders, were diagnosed with a mental illness and were themselves victims of sexual abuse. The function of…

Art therapy in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy reduces symptoms and enhances the potential for positive outcomes for sexually abused children in trauma-focused treatment. This article presents a treatment model that utilizes specific art therapy interventions to facilitate treatment, based on research on the effectiveness of combined…

Adolescents who have suffered the trauma of incest or rape often search for inner resolution amidst a society that can be more rejecting than comforting. Therapists need to be aware of issues specific to this population, as well as societal influences that impact recovery. Describes the components of an adolescent art therapy group for female…

Describes a time-limited, psychoeducational group in its 16th consecutive year of providing a safe and supportive milieu that breaks down isolation while helping women understand the impact of abuse on their lives and empowering them to alter their victim identity. Cognitive, affective, and expressive arts approaches are used to address aspects of…

This book is a research-based resource for professionals treating women who are sexually abused by female perpetrators, mainly mothers and grandmothers. The book first focuses on the female perpetrator, defines the treatments that have proven successful, and provides an overview of the available literature. Also addressed are the myths and…

Maintains that art therapy encompasses the areas of mental health and art education. Presents a case study of three sisters from a family with a history of sexual abuse and illustrates how art therapy was used as part of their overall treatment. (CFR)