When silence speaks in color: Expanding coercive control awareness through art therapy

This presentation explores the intersection of personal art-making, academic inquiry, and the evolving study of coercive control through art therapy. Rooted in the presenter’s own creative journey, it begins with intimate artistic expressions that reveal silent experiences of subjugation, manipulation, and relational imbalance. These visual stories become catalysts for awareness, turning private reflection into a wider recognition of coercive control as a systemic and psychological phenomenon.

As the presenter’s art develops, it also charts a parallel path of self-association and academic growth. Creating becomes both a therapeutic process and a research tool, linking lived experience with scholarly exploration of art therapy protocols and somatic awareness. Through this dual approach, arts-based inquiry emerges not just as a means of healing but also as a way to recognize patterns of coercive control that often stay hidden in traditional discussions.

The presentation shows how personal art evolves into a new blend of study, placing arts-based inquiry at the forefront of broadening our understanding of coercive control. By combining autobiographical art, theoretical analysis, and qualitative reflection, the work highlights how creative practice can generate new internal pattern recognition, build individual resilience, and build community awareness. Ultimately, this journey demonstrates how silence, when given color and form, can speak powerfully to personal recovery and collective understanding, offering arts-based inquiry and treatment as an essential path for research, advocacy, and change.