ART-THERAPY IN TRANSCULTURAL FAMILY-THERAPY

The increased existence of foreign culture patterns in the child population calls for transcultural comprehension in child psychiatry. This case report describes transcultural aspects in the therapy of an 11 year-old Moslem girl admitted to a child psychiatric department. Her symptoms were abdominal pain, headache, anxiety, and pretended fever. A family therapeutic approach was used together with elements of art therapy and individual therapy in a successful treatment. The family therapeutic approach was based on art therapy as a part of the communication where cultural symbols were an important part. An interpreter was not used. The cultural context where it is acceptable to overstep the borderline between reality and fantasy is seen as an important healing capacity. © 1991 Human Sciences Press, Inc.