‘Grief vessels’: An exploration of therapeutic work in contexts of complex pregnancy loss using art-based inquiry

This article offers an art-based exploration of the author’s therapeutic work in contexts of pregnancy loss, focusing on the experience of those who make the profoundly difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy for medical reasons (TFMR). The existing literature points to high levels of psychological distress in this group, against a backdrop of polarized debates on abortion care. There are gaps in cultural representations of the TFMR experience across the arts, as well as a dearth of exploration in the psychotherapeutic domain. The author sets out to represent these complex experiences and to delineate key therapeutic tasks using art-based self-inquiry. The methodology incorporates image-making and reflections on clinical practice, taking as a starting point the word ‘vessel’, which evokes associations to pregnancy and the therapeutic process. The incorporation of hand-stitching within the image-making process echoes the endeavour of textile artists in other contexts to capture marginalized experiences.