A trauma informed art therapy model for memory integration

This project examined trauma-related disruptions in memory integration, nervous system regulation, sensory experience, and internal organization to inform the development of a clinician-facing art therapy resource. Literature related to trauma-neuroscience, trauma-informed art therapy, somatic approaches, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), bilateral artmaking, and Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) was reviewed and synthesized. Shared principles across these approaches include stabilization, client choice, attention to protective responses, body awareness, symbolic distance, material adaptation, bilateral engagement, and intentional closure. These findings informed the development of a five-phase IFS- and EMDR-informed art therapy handbook that progresses from safety to Self qualities to manager parts, firefighter responses, vulnerable exile-related experiences, and integration. The handbook includes client card decks, two ETC-informed material pathways for each phase, bilateral art-based processes, reflection prompts, clinical cautions, and containment procedures. The resource is intended to support ethically paced trauma-informed art therapy practice and does not function as a formal IFS therapy or EMDR treatment. The project was developed through literature synthesis and project design rather than empirical testing; therefore, future expert review, clinical evaluation, and continued refinement are recommended.