Art Therapy and Trauma: Interview with Karin von Daler at Artmentum
How can art therapy support people in working with their trauma when talking is inappropriate or isn't enough?
That is what I discuss with Jens Larsen from Artmentum in this beautifully edited excerpt of an interview, recorded after I participated in the expert panel at Artmentum's conference Art and Storytelling as Inspiration for Trauma Processing, held in collaboration with the Association of Psychotherapists in Denmark and supported by Offerfonden (Danish Victims' Fund).
In the interview, I talk about how traumatic experiences can affect our connection to our bodies, our emotions, and other people. I point out how art therapy, including drawing, movement, music, and other creative forms of expression, can make room for experiences that are still hard to put into words. The creative work can become a way to sense one's own resources and gradually create more coherence.
I also explain why trauma-sensitive art therapy requires professional expertise, safe frameworks, and respect for each person's pace and degree of traumatization. Creative expression is not automatically healing! Especially in work with trauma, it is important to distinguish between vulnerable, personal process art and art that can later be shared with an audience to great benefit.
We also talked about my experiences with the art therapy aid organization for Ukraine, First Aid of the Soul, and about how creative processes can support both people in crisis and the therapists who work with them. And finally, we looked at the role art and creativity can play in a time when many experience disconnection from themselves, each other, and the world around them.
Click on the video to see the interview. Please make sure to turn on captions at the bottom if you need a translation from Danish.
If you'd like to know more about how I work with art therapy, or perhaps sign up for therapy or supervision, you can do so right here:
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