Responding to Drawn Images of War:

A Trauma-informed discussion.

Dr. Raj Ramanathapillai and Dr. Lisa (O’Beirne) Moseley are counsellor-advocates with survivors of torture and war trauma with Foundation House, one of Australia’s eight states/territories affiliated FASSTT NFP organisations. In this presentation and trauma-informed discussion, they invite us to witness drawn images of war, and reflect on implications for our viewing practices.

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About Dr Raj

Dr. Raj Ramanathapillai has a Master of Religious Studies and a doctorate in Philosophy from McMaster University, Canada. He also has a Master of Counselling from Monash University. Raj is currently serving as a trauma counsellor at The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc., providing specialized counselling to asylum seekers and refugees. Previously, Dr Ramanathapillai served as an associate professor of Philosophy and coordinated the Peace and Justice Program at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, USA. Raj developed and coordinated an art project with his students to create global awareness for survivors of war. Currently, Raj is exploring the effects of art in communication and healing.

About Dr Lisa

Lisa Moseley: “My therapeutic approach combines experiential and post-structuralist theories that I think suit the fluidity and response-ability of art-therapy. Formal academic studies have included psychology at La Trobe University (1994), a Masters of Creative Arts Therapy (2000) and PhD (2012) at RMIT University, and a Masters of Social Work at Monash University (2016). Alongside these were studies of Waldorf education, creative dance, yoga and meditation. I worked with children in educational settings throughout the 1990s teaching music, and I continue to work with child-focused family processes for trauma therapy. Working with asylum seekers in the Woomera Detention facility in South Australia in 2001 was my initial experience with refugee related trauma. Creative approaches for mental health recovery became my focus for 10 years, working and writing my PhD, before re-engaging with the refugee trauma context again in 2016”.

Lisa also practices independently as an art-based and reflective practice supervisor, with PACFA and ANZACATA membership.

The Seminar 

The 60-minute two-part interactive seminar will commence with Raj sharing several drawn images made by university students recording experiences of war. The artworks engage us with a trauma context; thus, the presenters have planned the delivery of the session to promote a trauma-informed exploration of the themes that arise in the works.

The second part of the seminar will facilitate a broader discussion on the experience of viewing the images and how this informs our practice as therapists, living and working in Australian social contexts.