On the nature of healing: a fractal setting for pediatric trauma therapy

Abstract

This landscape architecture project explores an alternative methodology for a naturebased, individualized environment for children in trauma therapy. It is built on the premise that a fascinating environment or activity using involuntary attention can restore mental capacity and directed attention (Stephen Kaplan), and that the characteristics and density of fractal patterns can create that fascination (Caroline Hagerhall). The role of trauma-focused cognitive behaviorial therapy is to break the mental connection between a specific situation or feeling and the initial, survival-centric reaction, in order to understand the impact of a past event and to “reset” the brain to process emotions and future experiences by intaking new information. By restoring directed attention capacity, a fascinating environment and activity assists a child to break out of the survival loop and begin to integrate trauma into the past. Fractals become a signifier of ‘naturalness,’ the natural becomes the source of fascination, and fascination becomes the energy to recharge mental fatigue. With a duality of therapy requirements and a fractal perspective, the garden provides an adaptable setting for therapy. The project site includes Michael’s House, a satellite child trauma center of Dayton Children’s Hospital, in Fairborn, Ohio.