When the Boat doesn't Dare to Set Sail

Abstract

The last ECArTE conference theme in 2019 of trust, truth and the unknown, celebrated in Alcalá de Henares, birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes and author of Don Quixote, was the inspiration for my conference presentation and this chapter, which explores and reflects on working in art therapy with children who have a fragile sense of trust. This chapter looks at the challenges of moving from inner states of alertness and mistrust to a place in therapy where the exploration of unknown territories becomes possible. Learning to trust in the creative process, gaining trust in the therapeutic relationship and acquiring trust in one's self can be an important challenge throughout the therapeutic journey, especially when working with children who have suffered early loss. But what happens when the creative path towards this discovery becomes blocked and when fear of losing control, anxiety over the unexpected and a fragile sense of trust in the therapeutic relationship challenge the unfolding of the creative process in fruitful ways? Having developed my art therapy practice in Spain and having specialised in post-adoption services, I aim in this chapter to shed some light on the particularities of this context. It looks at the challenges of the unfolding of the creative process through case examples and draws parallels with development of trust and attachment building, individuation and transformative processes in art making when working with children in therapy who have a very particular life story.