Expressive Arts Therapy and Intergenerational Trauma

The trauma I have seen in people whom I have accompanied on a healing journey, has been in most cases multigenerational. Our ways to respond to threats and adapt thereafter are not only biologically based. Ways to self-preserve, communicate, parent, create and thrive are also tied to our cultural identities, the sensory environments we live in, and the eclectic accumulation of experiences among the groups of people we live with. According to epigenetic studies, gene expression and how one reacts to certain stimuli can be passed down from one generation to the next. Trauma leaves scars on group consciousness, imprinting on future generations a set of templates on how to react, live life, allocate resources and narrate all types of experiences.

A common focus when guiding a person towards a fulfilling life is to help them find more adaptive ways to respond to what causes them distress, as well as a more productive relationship with what brings them vitality and resourcefulness. This journey requires access to, and a commitment to examine the whole self.

The power of artmaking lies in that it offers a neurobiological platform where the whole self is engaging in a reassignment of how we associate sensory input with emotions, narration and action. Creative expression is a way to manifest discomfort associated with trauma and triggers, to engage the whole self while activating the imagination where we can hold the past, present and future together. In this space we can reconnect with estranged parts of the self, reshape, resolve, repair, and transform both within the self and in the environment. Just as the trauma can be transmitted from one generation to another, so can resilience mechanisms.

There can be some limitations to using expressive arts therapy for healing. Movement may bring up defense for some, imagery might not be accessible to everyone, and music may be over stimulating to others. The arts also can carry cultural appropriations and racial biases that further disenfranchise groups of people. A trained expressive arts therapist will have the training to support people with finding the type of art that will give them access to renewal, healing, visibility and advocacy.

Cécile Rêve

ARTrelief co-founder