ABSTRACT
There is an existing tradition within psychoanalysis for the use of art as a means to help an analysand give expression to his/her psychopathology as well as aid the process of recovery. In the treatment of incest survivors, individuals have been encouraged to translate their trauma into artistic expression. When W. began his analysis in June 1993, he began to produce art on the advice of a female friend who was an artist and was in psychotherapy working on her own incest trauma. W. was overwhelmed by his childhood traumas, which helped form a barrier to direct communication with significant others. As W. felt safer and more trusting, he became more willing to share his childhood experiences. He began to label himself as autistic, or having Asperger's disorder. The analysis of W. was a unique experience in several meaningful ways. There was W.'s spontaneous production of hundreds of drawings, and as well as a collection of paintings.
