ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses art therapy relational neuroscience principles and protocols, specifically the four-drawings resiliency protocol, in order to guide therapists in these allostatic-supporting practices. Short- and long-term stress responses are frequently activated in individuals experiencing pain and grief, and are not mutually exclusive. The neuroscience of attachment involves a widespread subcortical and cortical matrix, yet research supports findings that the neuroscience of fear and motivation is at the center of attachment experiences throughout the life cycle. Stress contributes to structural and neurochemical changes in the nervous and endocrine systems that negatively affect cognitive, emotional, and relational coping, as well as immune system functioning. Resiliency and distress neuropathways may overlap. The explicit articulation of disturbing emotions or thoughts is expressed in the nervous system by descending, top-down frontal cortex modulating projections, and this cerebral cortex activity alters the experience of pain.
