ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at a sibling group in art therapy. The case study is based on the themes that emerged in several sibling groups that we have run. For reasons of confidentiality we have changed all the circumstances of the case history. This chapter looks at the art therapy process with four brothers aged 5, 6, 7 and 8. We review the current literature on art therapy with sexually abused children and other work done with siblings. We discuss the various themes that came up in the course of the boys’ therapy in terms of outside influences, discussion of secrets, artwork produced in the sessions and the children’s behaviour, and we compare the outcomes with some of the objectives outlined in the literature review. The boys were referred to art therapy because of sexualised play between the brothers at contact sessions. The brothers were placed in separate foster homes because of sexualised contact between the siblings and also because of violence. The social workers hoped that therapy would improve their interactions at contact. We hoped it would also strengthen the sibling bonds that can easily be broken when all the children are in different foster homes.
