Abstract
Repetition compulsion is a psychodynamic concept that explains an attempt to master trauma. This case study attempts to understand the possible meanings of symbol repetition that occurred in the art therapy process of a twelve-year-old boy with acute methylmalonic acidemia. Over 29 sessions of art therapy, the client demonstrated repetition through themes of struggles, calls for help, entombment, and a woman superhero. This recurrence seemed to relate to resolving trauma, gaining power, regulating anxiety, and seeking a savior.
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Notes on contributors
Michelle Nuttall
Michelle Nuttall, MA, ATPQ, is Art Therapist, CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l’île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
Lise Pelletier
Lise Pelletier, MA, MSW, is Professor in Art Therapy and Director of the Teaching and Research Unit, Department of Human and Social Development, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Canada.