Centre Against Sexual Assault art therapist Rebecca Norris. PIC: Justin Whitelock
Art will set the victims free.
14 May 2015
Art will set the victims free.
By FIONA HENDERSON, The Courier, 4th April, 2015.
But it's not verbally.
It's through moulding clay and painting with water colours. It's through drawing with oil pastels and crafting with chalk.
In fact, Ms Bonche credits the Centre Against Sexual Assault's art therapy program for helping her realise she wasn't, in fact, completely transparent.
Previously, she thought people would look at her and know straight away she had been sexually assaulted.
But - thanks to the program - she has overcome those fears, despite initial doubts.
"I battled with it at first," Ms Bonche said.
"But it gave me the voice I thought I didn't have, a voice to express myself and give me back my confidence and self-esteem."
She began with individual sessions with CASA art therapist Rebecca Norris before joining a group environment.
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"I progressed a long way with that (the individual sessions). Whatever medium we used, I'd progress and move forward a bit more.
"At times I felt like my artwork was very childlike but it allowed me to connect with my inner child.
"Being able to identify with that is an important part of the journey."
Ms Bonche said she particularly enjoyed using soft chalks as she used them as a child and it was something she felt comfortable with.
But even during the art therapy, she still took a long time to break through the barriers.
"I did the individual sessions for a year and I took a good six to eight months to find the courage to talk it out with her (Rebecca)."
While Ms Bonche was initially wary of the group sessions, she soon realised it was a fantastic support system.
"We reflected on each other's art work and there were similar themes in our art works such as colours, shapes and symbols, metaphors and the words we used.
"Art making enabled me not to focus on myself and get bogged down or overwhelmed.
"I didn't even recall the work I'd done at the time. I was just really in the moment."
Ms Norris, who has a background in digital art and social work, said she had always had an interest in both art and psychology. So it made sense last year to combine the two in a masters of art therapy after she began counselling at CASA a few years ago.
She conducts both individual and group sessions for women and children but is hoping to further expand the program to more CASA clients and CASA clinicians.
Art therapy process is also a rich way to understand the impact of trauma work on clinicians and counsellors.
She uses a wide range of mediums, including clay, pastels, chalks and even felting, encouraging people to express their feelings through art work.
She also assesses which creative process will best suit which clients, with pencils having a "distancing" effect while oil pastels can make people feel more in control and clay can evoke more physical responses.
"Art making and creative pursuits are by their very nature life enhancing," Ms Norris said.
"Being creative does not mean being an accomplished artist. We all have the capacity to be creative in our everyday lives.
"Some clients use art making to manage trauma responses such as self harm, anxiety and depression. Art making and crafts are meditative and grounding.
"They create a movement of energy that is soothing, calming and rhythmic."
She also said art therapy helps people develop better self awareness and acceptance and often bypassed their verbal defences to get to the deeper emotional information.
"Art therapy is process orientated where clients make meanings for themselves through the art making. Art therapists do not interpret clients' art work but are witness to the creation and story that in itself is healing.
"Process orientated art making encourages clients to resolve issues and make new meanings for themselves.
"Art therapy gives clients experience of control, mastery and trust in themselves to solves problems and make good choices and decisions.
"Art therapy is a purposeful, meaningful, constructive, hopeful and positive way to address the negative effects of trauma.
"I think art making has an existential and spiritual quality. It is often referred to as speaking from one's soul."
She said it also helped clients connect with their empowered self and their values and beliefs which had been eroded or compromised due to the trauma of sexual assault.
Heather Stewart said art therapy also helped her understand the trauma she had been through.
"I lost the sense of being transparent. I was in with like-minded people where you didn't have to be scared of your feelings," Ms Stewart said.
"You can go through 20 emotions in one minute but your own emotion is also their emotion."
Ms Stewart said she also enjoyed the feeling of being productive and creative.
"It was also fun and interesting and it felt like I was doing something.
"You don't have to be overly artistic. I thought I'd have to be Leonardo da Vinci!"
She said the women were often at different stages of dealing with their assault.
"But we're all equal, we're all trying to overcome the same problem.
"You can join other creative groups but you often feel like a round peg in a square hole."
* To contact CASA call 5320 3933 or free call 1800 806 292.
To continue reading, click here to go to the Herald Sun for the full story.
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