Article: Skop et al., 2022. Exploring IPV survivors’ experiences with group art therapy
What is the research about?
The focus of this study by Skop and colleagues was to:
- Describe the experiences of women intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors in a domestic violence agency’s Group Art Therapy Program
- Determine which components of the art therapy processes helped to facilitate healing
What are the findings?
When asked about their experiences in the art therapy program, participants shared the following:
Participant 1: “It helps with the emotions, just getting them out, even [if] it’s like on a paper… sometimes you don’t have the words to say, but that picture can say it all.”
Participant 2: “…it was in conjunction with other forms of therapy, the art therapy and [other groups]… my label for myself changed from a victim to a survivor.”
Four key themes were discovered in relation to group art therapy and transformative healing:
- Creative Connections – the art group therapy allowed participants to form connections with the space, others in the group and facilitators of the group. They were also able to find connections with the art itself, and certain art mediums that they resonated with.
- Reclaiming Empowered Self – Through the art group therapy, participants were able to find certain aspects of themselves that had been silenced and suppressed from their abuse
- Building Resilience – The art group therapy provided participants with a healing process, allowing for personal growth and positive change
- Use of Visual Metaphors – Participants often relied on metaphors in their art, signifying how the metaphors embodied their personal views and previous experiences
