Anorexia Nervosa in adolescence : an exploration of the personal unconscious in art therapy

The proposed research consists of a single descriptive case study, exploring the unconscious aspects of anorexia nervosa in the context of art therapy. The general concepts and theories on anorexia nervosa in adolescence will be explored. The psychoanalytic approach will also be of subject in order to inform the reader on the psychoanalytic concepts utilized for this paper. The participant of the study is a 14-year-old outpatient girl diagnosed and treated for anorexia nervosa. Based on Jungian concepts, interpretation of the case material and artwork will be of main subject in order to help identify manifestations of the personal unconscious. Each phase of the art therapy treatment will be explored, including the alliance, the resistance, the problematic and the termination. This study proposes that the use of art in therapy could lead to a better understanding of anorexia nervosa, assuming that art could be a manifestation of unconscious processes. The results of this case study indicate therapeutic progress. No specific causality could be identified. However, a combination of complex issues related to this patient's life experiences could be the cause of anorectic behaviour. Because this research is a single descriptive case study, the results cannot be generalized