Walking Through the Fire With Women Recovering From Addictions
Debbie Theriault (LPN, BA, DKATI, MA)
Moncton, NB
Debbie Theriault is a Licensed Practical Nurse, a certified art therapist (KATI, 2008) and provides spiritual care when called upon at her work at the Horizon Health detox in Moncton, NB, since 2017. She holds a Masters in Arts from the Atlantic School of Theology (2018) in Halifax, NS. She is currently preparing a web-page to sell her artistic creations.
While attending an Adult Faith Commission meeting, I suggested to the group that I would approach an agency that provides a home for women recovering from addictions with a project idea. When speaking with their coordinator I learned that the women had accessed art therapy in the past, and the therapist who was facilitating had moved away. We agreed that I would provide art therapy every Thursday for 4 weeks. The hourly sessions occurred the first 2 weeks of January and the first 2 weeks of February 2022.
The home was non-denominational and followed the 12 step Alcoholics Anonymous program. The session commenced with a prayer and had the directive “what gives you joy.” After processing each art piece and documentation, I noted that what gave them joy also gave them pain. The women at the home were not allowed to leave the building for personal reasons or have visitors for several weeks. After 3 months they can receive visitors and at 6 months, they can go home for the weekend. This was cause for anxiety for some, as they were unsure if they would still be in a relationship when the program was completed.
Synod - Journeying Together
Initially I found it challenging to build rapport. After mere minutes in the first session some of the participants had finished and left the room. Only a few returned to do another art piece. One shy client stayed behind and processed her art piece at length.
Second session
The women ranged in age from 20-58. The House Mother joined in doing an art piece and shared her hopes and dreams of having a group home for women in the country, as the city has too many distractions and temptations. Some of the women were living with depression and complex grief. I believe this was reflected in some of their artwork through use of black images, un-grounded figures, stabbing lines and one background which had a sickly brown color.
Third session
There was unrest in the home as one of the clients relapsed while out for the weekend. Her spot was filled immediately. The new client had previously been a coordinator with the home and had relapsed. Her artwork featured a heart and words. I asked her if she was in pain as I noted a bandage on her arm. She denied having discomfort but admitted the wound was from an infected needle. The listening women then shared their own stories about losing loved ones to addiction, whole families living with addiction and having no homes to return to.
Fourth session
Many of the clients were exhausted from having grief counselling earlier that day. The change in the mood resulted in some of them tearing up or hiding their second artwork pieces. I felt perhaps the art was traumatic, revealed too much and they didn’t want to process, or finish them.
A client wanted to make a card for her friend, and she painted trees in a winter landscape. The trees were initially green but as she continued, she covered them with black paint. She then did an art piece and tore it up. I gave her more cardstock to use at a later time. Another client shared her concerns around intergenerational addiction, wondering if her children would have addictions similar to herself and her mother. She shared her dream of becoming a coordinator and helping others.
Conclusion
I thanked the coordinator for the opportunity to be part of a unique group of women on their path to recovery. I noticed when the women had too many activities the same day or saw too many people, they had a difficult time focusing. I hope they continue to create to enable them to cope, especially when there are few planned activities. During these sessions, I noted the color green was used for the cross, the letters in Jesus, the peace sign and more. In the future, I would like to research and explore more about when the color green is used in artwork.