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Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 8 No. 1 January-April 2010 ˜Û

It was difficult to contain him at first and so re- therapy was reconnecting with this playful side which
asserting the rules and maintaining a safe therapeu- he found difficult–some of his work was centered
tic space was a priority. David showed aggression around sand play, messy painting, playing with clay,
within the space, testing the authorûs capacities to banging and crashing around in the room–starting

contain him by being verbally aggressive and physi- things and never ever finishing them–with David al-
cally threatening. David would also test the bound- ways appearing distracted and feeling as if nothing
aries in his use of art materials–splashing paint, was ever çgood enough.é His interaction in the space
making a mess, and drawing obscene pictures. He and with materials was a direct exploration of his
would spill paint over from the paper in a further lack of self–esteem and the potential impact of a trau-
attempt to invade the space by drawing on the walls matic childhood. Even though the sessions were
or the tables. In the early stages it was a weekly task painful and at times difficult for him, David managed

to show him that his aggression and his anger could to stay with this, felt accepted and attended every
be managed and contained. Frequent reminders of week.
the rules were necessary, insisting that he clear up Although he was volatile and at times seemed
the space and talking about how the space had to be impossible to contain, both he and the author also at
kept safe and what was not allowed–firm boundaries times felt together; she felt a strong sense of connec-
were maintained. On a few occasions it was neces- tion when he was responding to her as someone with
sary to stop the sessions due to his behavior, at which whon he felt safe, who he trusted and who could
point the author would explain to him why this was contain his difficult parts and help him to think about
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so but with the assurance that next week he could these. In the therapy he had pushed boundaries to
come back and that the author would be there, this the limit but both had survived his anger and dis-
was to continue to develop his sense of managing his tress and so David had learned new ways of manag-
anger. ing his angeri: çit was not so scary.é He had devel-
David was a very tall and heavily built young oped and experienced alternative ways of relating to
man, who had a threatening physical presence in the people. It did not always have to be a fight or a
space. He was full of anger regarding his circum- battle with everyone being angry; it could be dif-
stances and past experience but he was also a very ferent. David was experiencing what it was like to

mischievous and likeable young man. The author be çcared foré both at home and in therapy.
repeatedly had to be very firm and directive with him As the therapeutic relationship developed, he
in terms of his behavior as if he were re-experiencing began to be able to expose the more vulnerable parts
being an infant; learning how to be with a caregiver of himself and name and discuss his feelings and his
that could tolerate, reflect and manage his more diffi- experiences.
cult behavior. David had never had a childhood; he was re-
His images were also at an early developmental sponsible for keeping his siblings safe from his mother,
stage: that of a very young fragmented child. The making sure they had food, cleaning the house. He
author viewed this in terms of the abuse that he had had been, from a very young age, the adult in the

experienced and his exploration of the associated house. For this role, he became the hated child, with
trauma. Davidûs learning had also been delayed due his mother taking out all her anger and aggression on
to this experience and so now he was catching up him, so David had only ever experienced punishment
with his peers. When he was young he had not been and aggression from his maternal object. He found it
able to play and so at times his expression in art hard to accept love and kindness and tried to push it