Name: Art can heal PTSD's invisible wounds
Uploaded: 2016-10-12T15:09:02Z
Duration: 9 min 38 s
Description: Trauma silences its victims, says creative arts therapist Melissa Walker, but art can help those suffering from the psychological wounds of war begin to open up and heal. In this inspiring talk, Walker describes how mask-making, in particular, allows afflicted servicemen and women reveal what haunts them -- and, finally, start to let it go.

Trauma silences its victims, says creative arts therapist Melissa Walker, but art can help those suffering from the psychological wounds of war begin to open up and heal. In this inspiring talk, Walker describes how mask-making, in particular, allows afflicted servicemen and women reveal what haunts them -- and, finally, start to let it go.

Art can heal PTSD's invisible wounds

The psychological scars of war often remain hidden, leaving many service members silent and isolated for years. Through mask-making and other creative art therapies, wounded veterans have found powerful ways to externalize and process their trauma. One man named his recurring vision 'BFIB' and, by creating a mask, was able to contain and eventually release its hold. Over 1,000 masks have since been crafted, each giving a face to pain that words alone could not express.