The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of person-centered art therapy to reduce anxiety
and withdrawn behaviors for the child of a North Korean defector. The subject of the study was a first
grade elementary school girl whose mother defected to South Korea from China through Laos. Her mother
got divorced and was on bad terms with her live-in boy friend. The child had a depressed look, cried
instead of saying her thoughts and did not get along with her classmates. Thus, her homeroom teacher
asked that she receives art therapy. The child's problem behaviors were anxiety and withdrawn behaviors
according to the results of the first interview and psychological tests (CBCL, HTP, KFD, SCT). The
person-centered art therapy lasted from June, 2014 to December, 2014. The child attended the therapy once
a week for 20 sessions. The therapy allowed for the girl to choose materials and express herself with the
art therapist's empathic and accepting attitude. This process gave the girl psychological stability, and helped
the girl look at both herself and the world creatively. The results of the study show that there were
positive changes in both anxiety and withdrawn behaviors for the child of the North Korean defector.
However the study cannot be generalized due to its nature as a case study, so other studies are needed.