The Healing Power of Symbolization in the Aftermath of Massive War Atrocities
Examples From Liberian and Sierra Leonean Survivors
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9020698 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shanee Stepakoff (0000-0002-0054-576X, Special Court for Sierra Leone, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 400-412 |
| Publication date | 2007-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Humanistic Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-1678 • E-ISSN: 1552-650X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022167807301787 |
| OpenAlex | W2164471318 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 1 |
In the aftermath of war atrocities, symbolization—a process whereby an experience or emotion that has been unexpressed is given form—can provide survivors with a sense of relief and solace and can attenuate isolation by permitting traumatic experiences to be shared with and acknowledged by others. This article focuses on creative methods of symbolization used in a trauma counseling program for Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees in the refugee camps of Guinea. The program, developed by the Center for Victims of Torture, integrated contemporary expressive therapy techniques with indigenous healing practices (e.g., songs, cultural stories, drama, drawing, dance/movement, letter-writing, rituals). A case example of the treatment of a war-traumatized Liberian boy is presented. The psychological harm of war atrocities is exacerbated by silence. Conversely, as victims find ways of giving form to their experiences—verbally, nonverbally, or via a combination of the two—psychological and social repair become possible
Aesthetics · Art · Criminology · Dance · Drama · Indigenous · Literature · Political science · Power (physics · Psychoanalysis · Psychotherapist · Refugee · Silence · Sociology · Spanish Civil War · Torture · Art Therapy and Mental Health · Gender Studies · Law · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health
Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Repetition
Counseling Techniques Supporting West African Children With Adverse Childhood Experiences
Art and Evidence
Methodological Practices in Research on Arts-Based Programs in International Development
Making sense of collective identity and trauma through drawing
Setting the scene
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,55 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2021 (7) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |