Exploring intimate partner violence survivors’ experiences with group art therapy

ABSTRACT Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the major health and human rights issues of our time, affecting one in three women worldwide. Despite IPV’s prevalence, limited research investigates the healing process for survivors or the efficacy of group art therapy (GAT). This study is grounded by a person-centred approach to art therapy and an interpretive method, highlighting the contextualised nature of reality and experience of social phenomena. Aims The aims of this community-based, qualitative study were to explore women IPV survivors’ experiences of GAT and better understand what aspects of GAT contribute to healing. Methods During 2018–2019, six women were interviewed about their experiences of participating in a 12-week GAT program within a Canadian domestic violence prevention agency. The transcribed interviews were analyzed with the method of thematic analysis. Results Four themes emerged from the analysis, and an overarching theme/pattern was identified through interpretation of these themes. The overarching theme was transformative healing, which women appeared to experience by creating connections in a safe space, using visual metaphors in their art-pieces, reclaiming an empowered self, and building resilience. Conclusion This study found that GAT was experienced as providing a relational component to healing and as fostering self-expression, inner and interpersonal growth, and confidence. Implications Art therapists and other mental health practitioners who support survivors may want to consider the unique contributions of art making when designing interventions. Future research should examine which arts-based interventions delivered in a group therapy context can promote IPV survivors’ mental health and wellness. Plain-language summary This article shares information from a qualitative study about group art therapy (GAT) for women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV affects one in three women worldwide, including 6–8% of married/cohabiting women in Canada. Despite IPV’s prevalence, limited research investigates the healing process for survivors or the benefits of GAT services and approaches. This study was conducted in partnership with a non-profit organisation serving women survivors in a small Southwestern Ontario municipality. The aims of this study were to explore women IPV survivors’ experiences of GAT within a domestic violence prevention agency, and better understand what aspects of the GAT process, if any, contribute to healing. The study involved interviews and an arts-based research component with six participants who completed the organisation’s 12-week GAT program. Researchers utilised thematic analysis, a method of uncovering key themes across the interviews, to learn how participants experienced the GAT program. Through the process of thematic analysis, the study found that participants appeared to experience transformative healing by creating connections with the therapists, peers, and art media in a safe space; using visual metaphors in their art-pieces to symbolise their emotions and future possibilities; reclaiming an empowered self, which was creative, playful, and hopeful; and building strength and resilience through the group process. This study found that art therapy in a group context was experienced as providing a relational component to healing and as fostering self-expression, inner and interpersonal growth, and increased confidence. Art therapists and other mental health practitioners who support survivors may, therefore, want to consider the unique contributions of art and art making when designing interventions. Future research should examine which specific arts-based interventions delivered in a formal group therapy context can promote mental health and wellness in individuals who have experienced IPV.