Art Therapy with Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan: Difficulties of containment

Abstract

Syrian refugee children face ongoing trauma living in Baqa’a Palestinian Refugee Camp in Jordan. The experiences and the struggle of an art therapist working for three months with 30 children in the midst of chaos, pain and anger, raise challenges for the application of art therapy in the broader practice and geo-political context. Group art therapy, guided in particular by the work of Yalom, provided a foundation for limited yet meaningful therapeutic engagement for children through art.  Keywords: Refugees, group art therapy, trauma, cultural responsiveness