Bridging Art-Therapy and NVR: The Ramla Model for domestic resistance to violence, forming a resistance laboratory

Abstract

After two decades of using traditional methods of art therapy to try to help children who suffer from severe mental and behavioral problems, the author concludes that the results are not sufficient. The possibility of expanding the treatment portfolio to include NVR (nonviolent resistance to violence) theory and techniques is explored. This paved the way to establish a ‘resistance laboratory’: an integration of NVR and art-therapy, which allows parents and children to experience a shared positive interaction within one session. Thereafter, most parents gain the ability to resist their own fears and cope with the aggressive child behavior. As a result, the child experiences a boost in her sense of both safety and wellbeing. This often has a positive effect on the siblings. The intense balanced combination of NVR and art-therapy increased the chances of successful treatment outcomes.