In trauma work it is essential to recover all of the details and images of the traumatic experience and to construct a narrative that unites the memory fragments and brings closure to the experience. This must be done at both conscious and unconscious levels. Trauma work converts the unfinished experiential memory fragments into a coherent memory of the past event. To accomplish this it is necessary to reach the nonverbal mind despite verbal resistance and prepare the narrative for verbal presentation to the person. The patient can then assimilate and avow the experience.
Art therapy provides access to nonverbal memory.
The person completes a graphic narrative of the trauma in a manner that unites the fragmented images and brings closure to the experience. Once closure is achieved the person easily avows the graphic narrative as representing historical memory rather than unfinished experience. Most people who have survived a trauma become aware of separate aspects of their personality that they may try to ignore or disown. When one tries to ignore these different parts they try to exert control. Video dialogue is a way to work with these parts instead of against them.