Post-Traumatic play in art therapy: the art therapist’s role in working towards resolution

Post-traumatic play is a coping strategy utilized by children to work through traumatic experiences and it usually emerges spontaneously in their play. When working with young children with relational trauma within the art therapy context, such a form of play may arise. How then should the art therapist help the child to work through the post-traumatic play? This thesis examines the role of the art therapist in helping a child who engages in post-traumatic play to work towards resolution. As there has been limited literature in art therapy on this topic, this thesis hopes to expand the understanding of post-traumatic play in an art therapy encounter. Through a qualitative single case study, the phenomenon of post-traumatic play is highlighted and its implications are illustrated. The findings suggest that the art therapist plays the various roles of being a co-maker, an unconditionally accepting witness, a provider, a co-player and also ensures the safety of the child in the sessions. This reflective inquiry highlights the value of the therapist’s use of self as a way of understanding what is transpiring in the sessions and urges art therapists to trust in the child’s process.