Art therapy in a multidisciplinary team with young men in prison

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background People in prison often present with histories of trauma that can be difficult to process in the volatile prison environment. This article seeks to advance our understanding of the benefits of art therapy within a multidisciplinary team, and how it can help young men in prison who have experienced trauma. Context A review of the art therapy-informed interventions offered for trauma stabilisation in a service for young adult men in prison with complex needs is presented. Approach This article discusses a trauma-informed service in the prison and the variety of ways in which art therapy can support people in prison with histories of complex trauma. It explores: the use of art therapy in a group focusing on improving the prison environment; the role of art therapy in supporting trauma stabilisation and the development of ‘safe place’ processing; and the use of art therapy tools to explore dissociation with service users prior to engaging in trauma therapy. Conclusions The article highlights the vital role of art therapy as a non-verbal therapy to support young men to heal their past trauma. Reflections are offered on the importance of embedding art therapy within a service’s trauma therapy pathway. Implications for research It is recommended that research into the use of art therapy within prison settings is undertaken which could explore its utility in supporting people to process their trauma. This would provide further evidence for the role that non-verbal therapies may play in healing trauma.