Creative Strategies for Treating Victims of Domestic Violence

Abstract

Domestic violence in the United States grows in prevalence each year; therefore, it is crucial that counselors are prepared to offer support services to victims. Due to the emotional and mental impact of domestic violence, many victims have difficulty discussing their trauma. Therefore, creative arts activities may be helpful when working with victims of domestic violence. In this article, three creative activities are described and discussed. This column is designed to underscore relationally based creative interventions used by counselors and psychotherapists in their practices. Our intention is to provide examples of novel, innovative ways of working with clients in their efforts to deepen self-awareness and their connections with others. Although the interventions within this column will be presented in a linear “how-to” manner, an essential premise of this column is that interventions submitted for publication have a contextual and relational basis. Basic to this column is the therapeutic focus of working through latent hurts and impediments to our clients' health and happiness. Client goals generally involve creating the requisite emotional space needed for genuine relational choice for connection to manifest. If you have created a useful therapy tool, or if you have adapted an existing creative tool that you would like to share with readers, please follow submission guidelines in the author information packet available at http://www.creativecounselor.org/Journal.html

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