What happens when words aren’t enough to hold the weight of a family’s experience with a rare illness? Sometimes, the answer lies in our hands—literally. Working with clay can offer a powerful space for reflection and transformation.
Article in the South African Journal of Arts Therapies
In my recently published article, “The creation of a clay vessel is a metaphor for the therapeutic journey of a family affected by a rare disease” (South African Journal of Arts Therapies, 2024), I explore how the tactile, symbolic process of clay work became a meaningful metaphor for a family navigating the complexities of rare disease.
This article, featured in the second volume of the South African Journal of Arts Therapies [Vol. 2(2), pp. 176–196], uses the metaphor of vessel-making to illustrate how art therapy can support emotional containment, expression, and connection. Through both clinical insight and creative process, the piece highlights how collaborative art-making can offer not only a sense of agency but also a shared narrative for those whose stories are often invisible in mainstream medical discourse. You are invited to explore and reflect on this work which was written and published during an Art Therapy Master’s 2 year. This article followed a research dissertation titled “Enhancing attachment using a clay-based art therapy collaboration in a family.”
Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.36615/k83eh889