ABSTRACT
How do children make sense of who they are in relation to others and to the world around them? How do they navigate the interplay of internal experiences and external stressors? Psychodynamic, attachment, object relations, and trauma theory elucidate answers to these questions. Personality projection, body image and body ego, the membrane of the skin, and their connection with creative imagination offer a way of understanding treatment approaches. These emphasize the healing potential of art therapy for children. The psychological experience of embodied creations in the art-making process will be explored to foster understanding of the child’s evolving sense of self. Case vignettes will provide examples of the layered therapeutic process, which includes symbolic representations, the art-making process, and the art therapist’s role. Art therapy will be discussed as it promotes children’s resilience and capacity to cope.
