Gussie Klorer

Recent developments in neuroscience provide important information for therapists working with maltreated children. Severe maltreatment and lack of significant attachment figures in the crucial early years lead to adverse brain development (De Bellis, 2001). It appears evident that traumatic memories are stored in the right hemisphere, making verbal declarative memory of the trauma more difficult (Schiffer, Teicher, & Papanicolaou, 1995). This research lays the groundwork for understanding why nonverbal, expressive therapies can be more effective than verbal therapies in work with severely maltreated children exhibiting attachment difficulties. This article explores current research in neuroscience and provides a rationale for expressive therapy as a treatment intervention for this population.

Children today are continually bombarded with visual and auditory stimulation, and many make their connections in cyberspace to the detriment of real-time face-to-face encounters with other people. The negative effects of multitasking and technological overload on children and adolescents are discussed in this viewpoint article from the perspective of a family art therapist. The impact of overstimulation on attachment, attention deficit disorder, and interpersonal skills has profound implications for children receiving art therapy.