This study explored the intervention method and effects of art therapy on a child showing unstable
attachment as her mother went through her marriage and divorce and had a dysfunctional attitude towards
child rearing. The participants of this study were a six year-old girl and her mother who had remarried.
They participated in 28 art therapy sessions. The therapy consisted of individual art therapy and art
therapy with both the mother and child together. The data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman's
matrix and network, a qualitative research method to investigate the unstable attachment between the
mother and child, the symptoms and factors causing the symptoms, therapeutic factors, and therapy effects.
The study found the following. First, the factors that caused unstable attachment between the mother and
child were 'the mother's psychological uneasiness,' 'the child's unsatisfied desire, and 'a family from a
second marriage.' Second, therapeutic factors were the two upper categories, 'therapist factor', and 'art
therapy and medium intervention factor.' Third, the effects of art therapy were the five upper categories
such as 'the mother being emotionally stable,' 'realizing the importance of mother's role,' 'causing a
behavioral change in a child,' 'being sure that mother loves me,' and 'the therapist's learning through the
client.'