How can the creation of a symbolic funerary ritual in art therapy foster, in an adult “replacement child,” the process of differentiation from the deceased child and the resolution of unresolved parental grief?

This article explores the therapeutic function of the symbolic funerary ritual in individual art therapy through the case of an adult patient identified as a “replacement child.” It highlights how a ritualized process of artistic creation can foster the reappropriation of unresolved parental grief transmitted unconsciously across generations. Rooted in a singular clinical approach, this method enables the release of blocked emotions, the reorganization of family memory, and, from a psychogenealogical perspective, the unraveling of unconscious loyalties.

In this context, the ritual becomes an expression of the self within a transitional space, where the creative gesture enables the subjective reintegration of loss into a symbolic and living framework. By transforming the trace of grief into a symbolic act, the patient shifts the burden of parental memory toward a process of subjective appropriation. This practice fosters differentiation between the dead and the living, between inherited and personal history. The case analysis illustrates how art therapy, through the mobilization of symbolic processes, can support the recognition and integration of affects linked to unresolved parental loss. It highlights the reparative value of the creative ritual in restoring the relationship to self and to lineage, while underscoring the importance of the therapeutic frame and alliance in ensuring a safe and transformative process.