Drawing your way out: Imagery rehearsal based art therapy (IR-AT) for post-traumatic nightmares in borderline personality disorder.
Journal of Clinical Psychology May 1, 2024 Timea Kehr, Suzanne Haeyen
Posttraumatic nightmares are common after trauma and often affect people with borderline personality disorder. Imagery rehearsal therapy is the best-supported treatment for these nightmares, but many patients drop out. Adding art therapy may help by offering an indirect, nonverbal, and playful way to work through avoidance. This case study describes Aurelia, a 40-year-old woman with BPD who participated in an art-therapy-based imagery rehearsal treatment for posttraumatic nightmares. She processed childhood physical and sexual violence as well as current interactional problems appearing in her nightmares. After treatment, Aurelia reported fewer nightmares, less fear of them, and greater calm toward her trauma. Expressing herself through art increased her self-efficacy, and she experienced trauma integration and a perceived decrease in borderline symptoms.