idolls
A set of wooden dolls used as supportive tools and companions to help abuse survivors in working through trauma during various stages of therapy.
Therapy dolls
A multipurpose jig and a set of stencils were designed for 3D printing to make the manufacturing process open-source, simple, and intuitive.
Manufacturing
Abuse survivors often find it challenging to externalize complex emotions and revive traumatic memories during therapy sessions.
What is the issue?
This set of three customizable dolls is used as therapeutic tools during sessions guided by a professional practitioner. Each doll represents a different stage of the abuse survivor's journey, helping them confront current trauma, reconnect with their pre-abuse selves, and envision a future after the healing process. The dolls are personalized (carving, tearing, painting, sewing, patching, repairing, etc) through the therapy sessions to reflect the survivor's unique experiences and expectations; storytelling with the dolls is used to communicate complex emotions. This process enables survivors to process their feelings and experiences in a less clinical environment.
How it works?
Past
How was the person previous to the abuse and how others perceived the person
Representing the impossibility of altering the past
Hardwood - Purple heart
Present
How was the person during the abuse (physically, emotionally, and psychologically)
Medium Hardwood - Padauk
Representing that the present can be shaped
but it will take effort to do it
Future
How the person projects themselves after the healing process
Softwood - Walnut
Representing that the future can be shaped
The non-stereotypical appearance, exaggerated proportions, and slight resemblance to an infant are designed to trigger the natural instinct to protect and it facilitates the action of projecting oneself onto the dolls.
The material selection of wood and soft fabrics was made to emphasize two key points:
Coziness - to communicate a warm, loving embrace, safe, and home-like environment.
Repairability - every component can be fixed or replaced, symbolizing the resilience and growth possible during the healing journey.
Why it looks like this?
What is inside the dolls?
3D-printed ball-joint sockets and limbs covered in fabric and attached to the main wooden frame.
