Attachment Theory and Art Therapy: Indications of Attachment in the Art Therapg of Two Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders Brandis Cormier A Research Paper in The Department of Art Education and Creative Arts Thrrapirs Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Rrquirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Concordia University Montreal. Quebec. Canada O Brandie Cormier, 1999 National Library Bibliothèque nationale of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Senhces services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Vctre referenee Our file Noire teterence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of ths thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts f?om it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent êîre imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Attachment Theory and Art Therapg: Indications of Attachment in the Art Therapy of Two Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders Brandie Cormier Linking art therapy to attachment theory. this paper hypothesizes thtir childrrn re- rnact. and have the opponunity to repair. their attachment styles in art therapy through the an mntrrials and their artistic procrss. Children's an in art thrrapy provides tangible indicators of their attachmrnt styles. The focus is on two insccure ways of atiaching. which ;ire the avoidant and resistant/ambivalcnt attachmrnt styles. Establishine a secure base in în therapy is rxplored: the therapist dors this through the w materials and hou hc/she responds to the client. Providing a secure base enables the an therapist to help children repair insecure attachment styles. Certain an materials andhr activities are drscribcd as indicating attxhment because thry hiille quditirs that symboliciilly relate to attaching and detaching. which are attachmcnt behaviors. These behaviors are explored through the actb of taping. gluing.tying. stapling. and cutting. The paper finishes by drawing conclusions regarding which art activities seem to relate to the children's hypoihesized attachment styles. Acknowledgements 1 would like to thank several people who helped me during the process of writing this paper and while I worked as an intem art therapist. First. 1 thank Josee Leclerc for holding the excitement and energy 1 needed to finish this paper. 1 would likr to thank my father and mother for always being there. and particularly for supponing me over the plüt two years. Mom. 1 don't knou what I would have done without your encourasment to keep witinp. and tellins me to "just get it donr!" 1 also wish to thank Irenr Gerickr who gave me helpful and grounded support. Table of Contents Page List of Illustrations ............................................. vit INTRODUCTION ............................................ 1 CHAPTER ONE: Overvien of Attachment Theory .................. 4 1 . I Brief History of 0rigin.r ...................................-I 1.2 Definition of Attachment .................................-6 1.2.1 Role of the primary attachment figure ................... 8 1.3 The Attachment Styles ....................................9 I.4 How Artrichment Effects Rrlûtionships in Later Life ............... 12 1.5 Discussion of Attention-Deficit and Dismptivr Behavior Disordcrs ..... 13 1.6 Clinical Application of Attachmrnt Theory ...................... 17 1.6.1 Orientation and principlss ..........................17 1.6.2 Assessrnent ................................... IO 1.6.3 Goals ....................................... -11 CHAPTER TWO: Case Outline ................................ 23 2.1 Patient Identification ....................................14 2.1.1 Frank ....................................... 24 2.1.2 Karen ....................................... 74 2.2 Rrasons for Rrferral .................................... 25 2.3 Beginning Diagnosis ................................... 25 2.1 Pertinent Background Information ...........................26 2.4.1 Frank ....................................... 26 2-42 Karen ....................................... 28 2.5 Hypothesized Attachrnent Styles ............................ 29 2.5.1 Frank ....................................... 29 2.5.2 Karen ....................................... 32 2.6 Goals in An Therapy .................................... 34 2.6.1 Frank ........................................ 34 2.6.2 Karen ....................................... 35 Prise CHAPTER THREE: A Secure Base in Art Therapy .................36 3.1 Attachment Theory: A Secure Base .......................... 36 3.2 The Therapist's Style With Insecurely Attached Children ............38 3.3 Providing A Framework For Freedom in Art Therapy ..............-10 3.4 Issues Panicular to Franklin and Karen ....................... 41 3.1.1 Set up of room and access to materials ................. 41 3.47 Storage of child's an ............................. 43 3.4.3 Destroying and repairing art ........................ 45 3-44 Art in the garbagr ............................... 49 3.4.5 Transitional objrcts: docs the an go with thcrn? ............ 52 CHAPTER FOLIR: lndicrtors of Attachment in the Process and Products of Art Therapy . 58 4.1 Attschinp Through An .................................. 58 4.1.1 Normative cirtistk processes in children ................. 59 1.1.2 Media qualitiçs ..................................60 4.1.3 Avoidant rittachment: Frank ......................... 64 4 . t .4 Resistantlambivalent attachrnent: Karen ................. 66 4.2 Attachrnent Theory and Termination ..........................68 3.2.1 Termination issues with Frank: rivoidant rittachment .........69 3.2.2 Tennination issues with Karen: resistanthmbivrilent sttxhrnsnt . 73 4.3 Discussion of Attachment Sty!r and Art Therapy Indiciitors ...........79 4.3.1 Frank ........................................80 4.3.2 Karen ....................................... -83 Endnotes ....................................................89 Appendi .u ....................................................94 vii List of Illustrations Figure Subject Page 1 Karen's cut and flariened art ............................ 16 2 Karen's Christmas treee ...............................48 3 Frank's rescued submarine .............................50 4 Frank's foilowing two submarines ........................ 53 5 Frank's garbage bag ................................. 54 6 Karen's BRAKTI image ............................... 76 Introduction In this paprr. 1 explore attachment theory and the implications of using this theory in an therapy. The purpose of this paper is to begin to makr links between art therapy processes and products. and the basic tenents of attachment throry. Several questions have ouidtd me in my research. Most importantly. how do attachment theory and an therapy t inform onc anotherl Does an therapy have an' panicular value from rn rittrichment perspecti\.el What does attachment theory have to offer ro an therapists? I belirve thot conntcting an therapy and cittachment theor). will rxpand the current modes oi \ixing both the art and therapeutic relationship in art therapy. In rny opinion. a major strength of this association is that m thçrapy provides tangible and clear examples of the concepis in attachment theory. In this research paper. 1 hypothrsize thrit an therapy can be vriluablr in assrssing attachment styles. From my experiencr. children use an materials. panicularly marerials that synibolicnlly relate to the acts of attaching and detaching. to express thrir issues of attachrnent. 1 funher postulate that art thrrapy is an effective mrans of trrating children who use insecure attachment styles. Through the art makinz procçss and the theriipeutic relationship. children have the opponunity to re-enact their attachment styles and repciir their insecure attachments. 1 will sprcifically explore how art therapy informs attachment thcory with children who have Disruptive Behavior Disorders and a history of physical and/or psychological maltrcatment. My underlying premise in this paper is that îttachment problerns. in the form of insecure attachment styles. are linked to the later developrnent of Attention-Deficit and Disruptive Brhavior Disorders. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder M3RID). Oppositional Defiant Disordrr (ODD)and Conduct Disorder (CD), are dl classified as Disruptive Behavior Disorders and srrm to have some relationship to problems of attachment. The history of people with Dismptive Behavior Disorders often suggests inconsistent upbringing. Inconsistency in upbringing may take the form of neglect, abuse. or interrupted parenting (Reid & Wise. 1995). Forms of maltreatment and inconsistent parenting suggest that the attachment relationships of children who have these disorders ha not been optimal. and that these children may be insecurely attachrd. Thus. using attmhment thsoq seerns to be an excellent way for clinicians to