something I would like to learn more about is the effectiveness on individuals who are not biological women, for example trans women or biological men. Both of these demographics can absolutely experience some form of IPV. I believe these 2 groups can have very different experiences in how they try to cope with abuse and also how they are expected to cope with abuse. (e.g., men expected to not take abuse seriouslty due to the sole fact that they are men). I would love to learn more if art therapy can still aid in healing for these groups.

future research talks about how the credentials of the facilitators of the study should be states to improve the transparency of the study but also to help readers interpret how effective the therapy was. It also mentioned that future research should incorperate more ways to explore how art therapy can improve and "compliment broader psychosocial supports to sustain recorvery and growth".

after the study, it was reported that women not only improved cognitively but also improved in the way they see themselves physically, and taking back ownership of their own bodies and feeling more confident overall. This is important to me because it just emphasizes the fact that everything is interconnected and that one aspect of mental health always affects the others.

group therapy is helpful in having other women go through similar experiences promotes a healthy atmosphere and allows connection between eachother in a safe environment.

art therapy aims to "diminish impulsive responses", which I think is very important because therapy in itself will not be helpful if you can't find the root of the problem. Most traumas feed on impulsivity, and how the brain responds to an individual's first thought, which can usually be negative.

note on how any art form can reveal meaning

art therapy can access different parts of the brain that talk-based therapy cannot. sensorymotor skills are activated through artmaking and aids understanding in one's emotions and how it manifests physically.

this is notable to me because i think remembering these 5 themes can help me aid my future patients when i'm in the art therapy field. a. rebuilding myself b. art symbolically telling my story c. reconnecting d. promoting a healing space e. hoping for a better future

because victims have a skewed sense of reality, they often find themselves in a place where they believe that the abuse is actually their fault, making them hesitant to speak out about said abuse. because art therapy isa nonverbal expression of therapy, these barriers can be torn down and provide a safe space for the victim in telling their story.

art therapy can be used in many ways, such as using it as a replacement for verbal expression, or a stepping stone to eventually having the ability to put their trauma into words, or a hybrid of both. this interests me because I myself, plan to become an art therapist and want to know of the many ways art therapy can be used to patients. and it's important for em to note that this method of therapy can't be utilized in the same way for everyone, and there are adjustments that need to be made to make sure every therapy session is tailored to each individual's own needs.

understanding why and how vicitms were abused and reanalyzing that trauma can be the first step into a positive direction. I think this is very interesting because sometimes I don't think of looking at trauma in the way of looking at it from a different perspective, and it's easy to drown in your own suffering and getting into your head of "why is this happening to me?", "reinterpreting their trauma", as the articles calls it, allows the victims to take control of their own life again.

it's important to study the aftermath effects of therapy as well, such as PTG, which is posttramatic growth, where victims find a "deeper appreciation of life, increased personal strength, enchanced relationships..." (page 2).

and this can lead to the importance of art therapy as it is a type of therapy where words do not need to be expressed. having the body go through motions and putting their thoughts into something they create with their hands can aid in the healing process.

3 types of trauma have arised from IPV, those being personal, relational and betrayal trauma (trust and security in relationship being violated), which in turn caused many mental, sexual and physical health problems that affect the victim's ability to function in their life.