Family Art Therapy with Adolescents who Present Self-Harming Behavior

Abstract

Self-harming among adolescents is a rapidly growing clinical issue. The behavior is also one of the most difficult clinical issues for many professionals (Brown and Kimball, 2013; Favazza, 1998; Muehlenkamp & Gutierrez, 2004; Selekman and King, 2001). Therefore, it is essential to integrate and evaluate past treatment approaches and underlying theories to determine goals that address all aspects of self-harming behavior among adolescents. An array of literature exists relating the inability to regulate emotions in a healthy manner with adolescents who present self-harming behavior. This thesis addresses a psychodynamic framework that identifies the importance of early parent-child relationships. Although past literature addressing effective treatment for self-harming individuals is limited, it was found that adolescents tend to respond effectively to creativity and art-making when used as tools to regulate emotions (Huss et al., 2010; Malchiodi; 2003; Riley, 1999). This thesis provides a review of literature that discusses the phenomenon of self-harming behavior, past treatment suggestions, and theoretical information that supports family art therapy as an effective approach for most adolescents who self-harm for emotional regulation. The literature also provides information suggesting that the family may be counterproductive or even dangerous for an adolescent who self-harms. Therefore it has been concluded that one treatment plan cannot be generalizable to fit all families. However, some treatment goals were suggested that integrated psychodynamic theory, family art therapy, and self-harming behavior.