Healing Through the Expressive Arts: Acting and the Treatment of Trauma

Abstract

This study explored how acting can contribute to the healing of attachment trauma. Using a heuristic phenomenological approach and lived experience, the researcher asked two central questions: How can acting serve as a depth psychological intervention for attachment trauma healing? How can a Jungian framework help actors with attachment trauma integrate unconscious material experienced through their roles? Embodying a character through acting or drama therapy can promote psychological growth by uncovering unconscious material. Jungian archetypes provided a framework for understanding how actors can use their roles to engage with repressed, unconscious fantasies, facilitating their integration into conscious awareness. This research comes from the researcher’s personal desire to better understand how role play and implementing archetypes, empathic attunement, and emotional regulation can facilitate emotional healing in real-life contexts. The author discussed first-hand experiences of acting, drama therapy, and creative expression toward illuminating how they can contribute to and transform the healing journey after trauma.