Art Therapy with a Community of Survivors

Abstract

On April 19, 1995, the most devastating act of terrorism ever perpetrated in the United States of America occurred in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In the immediate aftermath, there was a dearth of mental health professionals experienced in dealing with the sequela of violent, deadly trauma. The extensiveness of the tragedy, which included the destruction of the Federal Building and the death of 169 people and injury to another 500, was unparalleled. Due to considerable clinical experience in dealing with violent trauma, treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients, organizing critical incident response teams, and availability, the author was asked to spearhead the local Indian Health Science mental health team. This article describes the author's experience in providing clinical services to more than 120 victims and their families in the 6 months following the bombing. The following dimensions are discussed: (1) organization and employment of treatment/intervention teams; (2) unique dimensions of this traumatic event; (3) techniques of art therapy utilized in the stabilization and treatment of survivors; (4) reflections on the success of such intervention 1 year later; (5) the emotional impact on the therapist(s); and (6) the rationale for the use of art therapy with this population.