Art Therapy and Trauma: The Case of Human Trafficked Victims

Abstract

Management of traumatized rescued victims of human trafficking has become a challenge to the personnel of Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service who handle victims of trauma due to trafficking. Premised on the fact that such victims do express varied trauma dispositions whiles in police facilities that required professional service of counselling to address the emotional instability caused by trauma through trafficking. This position, constrain police actions and cooperation needed from victims to have a conclusive investigation becomes a mirage. The study aimed at using Art Therapy of drawing as an intervention to mitigate the trauma experienced by these victims so as to facilitate their emotional health recovery and reintegration. Qualitative research method was used basically to gather data. Forty rescued human trafficked victims were identified and offered sessions of Art Therapy. The results revealed that art or drawing has the ability to offer a means of non-verbal communication, where verbal communication is hard or painful. Besides, the art therapy sessions enhanced the release of buried emotions which are linked to their traumatic experiences through their drawings and this quickened their emotional healing and stability.