JOSÉ CARLOS DA SILVA MENDES, WYONA M. FREYSTEINSON, RAQUEL DE MELO GAMBOA & VERA PEREIRA
Abstract
Aim: In this literature review we aim to understand the importance of the mirror in the daily life of the individual and understand if the mirror can be used as a strategy, assessment and/or intervention in individuals presenting with facial disfigurement caused by trauma or disease. Method: Resorting to the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and PsyARTICLES databases, articles that focus on the mirror as therapy were selected. Results: The review suggested that the mirror has been used as a therapeutic strategy, in various contexts (phantom limb pain, substance abuse, hemiplegia, facial paralysis, rehabilitation, dexterity, stroke, body dissatisfaction) with promising results. Recently, a mirror technique has been researched and developed in women who underwent mastectomy, exploring the experience of viewing self in the mirror after surgery (disfigurement). Conclusion: Using the mirror in clinical context is an idiosyncratic and delicate process. The mirror therapy in disfigurement has, recently, focused in the assessment and intervention in women who underwent mastectomy, thus justifying the need to explore this therapy in individuals with facial disfigurement.
Keywords
Disfigurement, mirror therapy, intervention, assessment.
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