Supporting Gun Violence Survivors With Art Therapy and Legislative Advocacy

Abstract

A unique partnership between art therapists and legislative advocates afforded an opportunity to combine their skills for micro-level (psychosocial) and macro-level (social policy) change in pursuit of gun control reform. In a two-day retreat for gun violence survivors rooted in an arts-based narrative engagement, the art therapists aided the advocacy efforts by providing trauma-informed ways to facilitate storytelling and debriefing. Participants identified the aspects of their lived experience to build solidarity and cohesion as well as share with policy makers.