Landscape of loss: art therapy outdoors and traumatic bereavement

ABSTRACT

Background

This paper describes art therapy sessions outdoors with a six-year-old child following multiple adverse childhood experiences and a recent bereavement of a relative who died by suicide.

Context

Art therapy took place in a major city in Scotland. Sessions took place both at a local community centre and a nature reserve.

Approach

Sessions employed an outdoor approach to art therapy that was underpinned by artistic concepts and ecopsychology.

Outcomes

The child presented in this paper engaged notably differently when sessions were taken outside. He began to explore and communicate more coherently about his life experiences and the death of his relative.

Conclusions

Through interacting with the natural environment during outdoor sessions, this child was able to explore and express concerns much more freely than during indoor sessions.

Implications for Research

There is a need for further research focusing on outdoor art therapy due to a dearth of peer-reviewed research on this topic.

Plain language summary

This paper describes art therapy sessions which took place outdoors. The art therapy sessions were held at a local nature reserve in a major city in Scotland. The child who attended the sessions was six years old. He had previously lived through several traumatic life experiences, and a relative had recently died by suicide. Case examples present ways in which moving sessions outdoors may have helped him with exploring and expressing his experience of the death of his relative.

There is potential that outdoor art therapy sessions may help children to talk about difficult experiences. Future research is needed to develop our knowledge of what is and is not helpful during outdoor art therapy, for which children and under what circumstances.

KEYWORDS:

• Outdoor
• nature
• environment
• outside
• ecopsychology
• bereavement
• death
• art therapy

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Alex and his mother for agreeing to try art therapy outdoors. I would like to thank the family for their consent to write about the work we did together. Finally, I would like to thank my supervisor who supported me with undertaking this work and encouraged me to write this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics

I confirm I have received written informed consent to publish client data in this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ashlynn Wardle

Ashlynn Wardle is an artist and Art Therapist. Since qualifying, Ashlynn has worked with third sector organisations offering therapy for children, young people, families and adults with learning disabilities and autism.