Positive Effects of Art Therapy for Women and Children from Backgrounds of Domestic Violence

Abstract

Domestic violence, specifically, that which is perpetrated against women and children, causes physical, mental, and emotional trauma, resulting in a variety of pervasive injuries and disorders. The purpose of the research and practicum experience outlined in this thesis is to present art therapy techniques and activities as a viable and effective modality of treatment for the aforementioned disorders inflicted upon the survivors of domestic violence and abuse. The intrinsically expressive nature, as well as the sensory aspects, of engaging in the creative process which is facilitated through the use of art therapy, allows women and children from backgrounds of domestic violence to gain positive and therapeutic benefits. These benefits help them to cope with a multitude of mental and emotional disorders, and to aid in the overall healing process, thereby having marked, and lasting, positive effects in the lives of the individuals involved.