The Image Comes First: Treating Preverbal Trauma with Art Therapy

Abstract

This chapter provides a brief overview of the history of trauma treatment as context to understand the effects of foundational and pre-verbal traumas. The authors describe Intense Trauma Therapy (ITT) and the basic tenets for working with people within this model. The authors explain how relevant brain structures are related to trauma processing and include theories on hemispheric differences, dual brain, and the instinctual trauma response. An in- depth case vignette of an adult woman is provided, that walks the reader through the theoretical integration of scientific findings with this specialized art therapy intervention.