ART-THERAPY WITH A SELF-MUTILATING ADOLESCENT GIRL

Self-mutilation is presented as a self-destructive act with positive i ntentions toward self-healing and symptom relief, in such areas as sex ual anxiety, aggression and hostility, purification of guilt and the p reservation of order, boundary diffusion and separation anxiety, and t rauma. ?This article presents the case of an adolescent girl in art th erapy whose self-mutilative behavior and related problems are reflecte d in the content and process of her artwork. The advantages of art the rapy treatment for self-mutilating clients are discussed. Not only is visual art a suitable alternative language for nonverbal acting-out se lf-mutilators, it also provides opportunities to exercise the same des tructive and integrative urges that underlie their self-abuse. The art surface may metaphorically provide a healing function similar to that provided by self-mutilation in that it creates a protective layer-a s kin-for the self, as in the formation of scar tissue.