Minna´s Gift：A Case Study of Art therapy with a 16 year-old Adolescent in Residential Care

Abstract

The case study is a well-established methodology in psychotherapy, providing a means to articulate the therapist’s explorations, questions, insights, reflections, and formulations. It enables in-depth dialogue within the professional community through the sharing of session material, while also supporting the therapist’s ongoing process of conceptualising and understanding the client’s psychological experience. This case study arises from my wish to explore more deeply the phenomenon of gift-giving of my teenage client, Minna, who lives in a residential care facility and consistently gives her artworks as gifts to others, including her parents and the care staff. In this paper, I document Minna’s art therapy process alongside my own reflections, developing thoughts, and formulations, which I situate within a psychodynamic framework and relevant literature. Writing Minna’s case serves not only as a method of thinking, but also as a way of moving closer to her experience and opening dialogue within the art therapy professional community.

Key words

Art Therapy, Adolescence, Residential care, Object Relations Theory, Gift-giving, Trauma, Exhibition