EMMA: Art Therapy Illustrating Personal and Universal Images of Loss

Abstract

This case study examines a body of art work produced by Emma, a geriatric client admitted to a psychiatric ward for what appeared to be symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. On the ward, Emma attended art therapy groups, where she spontaneously created metaphors of loss. Her art work showed many similarities to art work produced by cancer patients. After a three-month stay on the psychiatric ward, Emma was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. She was transferred to a medical unit where she died three weeks later. Emma produced all her art work before she was diagnosed with cancer. This article presents evidence that Emma unconsciously knew she was dying, and independently worked on issues of her own death through her art work.

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