Digital Commons Network^™

Mindful Practices To Interrupt White Supremacy In Higher Education: Opportunities For Educators In Service Learning And Community Engagement, Jennifer F. Steinfeld

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This thesis proposes reflective practices for educators to interrupt white supremacy in higher education service learning programs. It is relevant today as higher education institutions look more closely at their history, often upholding or benefiting from slavery, racism, indigenous removal, and other forms of race-based exploitation. Other work on this topic demonstrates the power of reflectivity and mindfulness practices in reducing the impact of racial biases. The heart of this creative thesis is a research-based curriculum for a learning community of educators to develop capacity to incorporate reflectivity, meditation, and liberatory pedagogies into their classrooms. This curriculum is designed for …

The Process Of Loss, Isidro Pentzke Jr.

MFA in Visual Arts Theses

This paper proposes that digital media has changed the way art is viewed and experienced. This investigation into technology unpacks the effect that technology has on our society. Through the process of photography and digital media, the exploration of social interactions with technology is observed. The observation that is highlighted in this artwork is multilayered, which includes the digital rituals and the acceptance of new digital social norms. In addition, an argument is made that due to this change in social acceptance to the new digital world, there seems to be a disconnect between those who are engrossed in the …

The Moccasin Project: Understanding A Sense Of Place Through Indigenous Art Making And Storytelling, Colleen Carew

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this arts-based and Indigenous research study was to explore how Native Americans understand ‘place-based imagery’ through an Indigenous art making and storytelling experience to illuminate perspectives and experiences of a ‘sense of place’. Storywork, an Indigenous research method directed the culturally grounded research project. The Native American moccasin was the symbolic cultural catalyst used to create a multimedia art piece to express and reflect traditional cultural knowledge rooted within this symbol. Native Americans representing five federally recognized tribes participated in the study. As a result of a pilot study, a definition of place-based imagery was developed. Place-based …

Mompreneur Immunity: An Exploration Of Meaning-Making And Relational Support Of Self-Employed Women With Children, Felicia Newhouse

Educational Studies Dissertations

The 21^st century has seen a substantial increase in female entrepreneurship. A large portion of these entrepreneurs are mothers who combine entrepreneurship with looking after their children, also known as “mompreneurs” (Collins English Dictionary, 2011). Given the current growth of women-owned businesses (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2018), it is especially important to examine the work-life experiences of women who are creating and sustaining entrepreneurial ventures while raising children. There are few studies that address mompreneurship (Ekinsmyth, 2011; Lewis, 2010; Nel, Maritz, & Thongprovati, 2010), leaving an empirical gap in understanding the experiences of mother entrepreneurs. This dissertation addresses the question …

How Can Developmental Transformations Address Culture Shock To Those Moving From Collectivist Societies Into Individualistic Ones, Such As, Chinese Immigrants Into The United States?, Fabiola Valdivia

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Immigration has always existed, and lately with the heyday of social networks and media, we have witnessed high rates of immigration due to different social and political contexts that have forced people to leave their homes looking for a better situation. Many of these individuals have emigrated and continue to emigrate to the United States of America, in search of, what in some cases they believe will be, the American dream.

This document explores the implementation of developmental transformations (DvT), originally a drama therapy approach, with an immigrant population coming from a collective society such as the Asian into an …

Puerto Rican Cultural Arts And Expressive Arts Therapies: Mental Health And Collective Resilience Post-Hurricane Maria, Stephanie Soler-Martinez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The research aimed to study how integrating Puerto Rican popular cultural arts with the expressive arts therapies could assist the recovery process post Hurricane Maria. During post-disaster recovery efforts, access to formal psychological services are not always viable to survivors and the services available are usually not enough to cover the demand. The literature review examined the relationship between: mental health in the aftermath of natural disasters; cultural relevancy within the field of psychology in Puerto Rico; resilience in post-disaster communities; and psychosocial community interventions. Findings encouraged for programing for Puerto Rico’s psychosocial recovery from Hurricane Maria, or any future …

The Use Of Drama Therapy To Create Safety In Psychoeducational Groups For Complex Trauma: The Development Of A Method Using Ritual, Embodied Metaphor And Play, Sarah M. Lowry

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this research, I developed a method to bring drama therapy into psychoeducational groups that serve clients who have survived complex trauma. Through the use of play, metaphor, group ritual, embodiment and laughter, I explored the use of drama therapy to increase the experience of a group member’s feeling of safety which I perceived in their capacity to take individual risks and to connect with other group members. I facilitated two separate psychoeducational groups that occurred over the course of 12 weeks, incorporating these elements of drama therapy, and reflected upon my experience of these interventions. Throughout the process, I …

Survey Of Research In Multiculturalism In Expressive Therapies, Christine Yerrakadu

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis literature review defines and explores the issues concerning multiculturalism in the field of expressive art therapies. Many authors have stated the need for multicultural education and self assessment of the clinician. Personal identification of the client should take precedence over generalization of world cultures. Self-assessment of the clinician is needed in order to examine possible personal biases. Awareness of multiculturalism is only the first step, and further exploration into education and skills using the expressive art therapies would hone multicultural competencies.

Mindfulness And Expressive Arts Therapies In Cancer Care, Maria Lacreta

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper considers the efficacy of utilizing Expressive Arts Therapies as a primary intervention in addressing the psychosocial needs of patients in cancer treatment and recovery. Significant evidence shows that a cancer diagnosis, current treatment protocols and the recovery process incur wide-ranging symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. At the same time, research is also beginning to demonstrate a remarkable potential for cancer patients to develop post-traumatic growth, if given the opportunity to integrate their experience. Particularly in the post treatment phase, cancer patients report feelings of hopelessness and emotional despair, but are able to process and account …

Therapeutic Theatre With Adolescents At-Risk Of School Dropout, Dan Summer

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of therapeutic theatre, a method of drama therapy, on resilience among adolescents at risk of high school dropout. A mixed method approach was employed to qualitatively examine participant perspectives on resilience and quantitatively measure change in resilience. Participants engaged in weekly after-school drama therapy groups to collaborate on developing themes and a script for a performance to be witnessed by an audience of family and community members. Qualitative and quantitative findings were triangulated and embedded to examine relationships. The Behavioral Assessment System for Children Second Edition (BASC-2) and Resilience Scale …

Exploring Self-Injury: An Art-Based Approach To Cultivating Empathy And Understanding In Mental Health Professionals, Dana Wyss

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Self-injury greatly affects individuals, their families, and the mental health professionals who provide their care. This art-based research investigates the impact of clients’ self-injury on mental health professionals. It addresses four research questions and applies a methodology that integrates body art, photography, poetry, and dialogue. Six participants (including the researcher) participated in three meetings wherein they artistically responded with temporary body art to two questions, sorted through their photographs, reviewed poetry created about their work, and discussed the study experience. The researcher navigated being a witness-researcher by personally and creatively engaging in the study.

The results present raw, distilled narratives, …

Mutual Vulnerability And Intergenerational Healing: Black Women Hbcu Students Writing Memoir, Zelda Lockhart

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study sought to gain insight into the unique experiences of Black women students who were writing memoir toward the goal of self-definition in a Black feminist learning environment at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). Two teaching methods included personal plot (an extension of expressive writing that offers writing prompts for emotional closure), and biblio-fusion (a combination of expressive writing and bibliotherapy) (Lockhart, 2017a; 2017b). Interviews were conducted with six Black women participants and triangulated against their personal essays and online journal responses. Personal plot, a form of narrative analysis was used to construct paragraphs on what each …

Adolescents With Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder And/Or Oppositional Defiant Disorder Benefit From Active Arts Therapy, Caitlin Carey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review investigates the implementation of medication and active arts therapy with adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Adolescents ages 13 to 19 spend most of their time in school. School systems have modified a therapeutic setting to benefit and assist students with these diagnoses. This paper analyzes whether the implementation of active visual arts and play therapy has positive effects for adolescents with ADHD and/or ODD involved in taking or not taking medication, resulting in a positive impact on their quality of life. By reviewing previous research, this literature review builds a case …

Art Therapy And The Person-Centered Approach: A Method For Breaking Down Creative Resistance With Dementia Patients, Kimberly Nelson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This Capstone explores the use of art therapy with a geriatric population on a psychiatric unit of a small, rural southern hospital. Most of the patients experience symptoms of dementia and are over the age of 55. Many patients presented with resistance to creative pursuits and this researcher utilized the person-centered approach to counter this “creative resistance”. In other words, the patients were met where they were at and accepted unconditionally, through empathy and congruence. The materials that were offered to this population were explored through the creative resistance as well, and a simple number two pencil produced successful results …

How Can The Attunement Needs Of Children With Disorganized Attachment Styles Be Supported Through Expressive Arts Therapy?, Jayne Paley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Treatment strategies for school age children with disorganized attachment are not well established. This population exhibits a range of difficulties in social relationships and self-regulation. Additionally, children with disorganized attachment generally rely on defense mechanisms and present with other comorbid conditions, adding to the complexity of treatment. This paper explores current research and theories about disorganized attachment and then, on the basis of evidence provided throughout this paper, proposes the concept of attunement needs in relation to working with children with disorganized attachment. The attunement needs described in this paper, derived from the literature, include safety/security, control/power, consistency, affective release, …

A Dance/Movement Therapy Method For Improving Mood States Of Adolescent Girls In A Residential Treatment Center, Selena Coburn

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine dance/ movement therapy (DMT) sessions as a method of intervention, through observing with Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP) and recording shifting mood states in participants living in a residential treatment center. The participants are adolescent female clients age 13-17 years old. They have co-morbid diagnoses including depression, eating disorders, ADHD, histories of abuse and neglect, and oppositional defiant disorder. Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and verbal check-ins are used to determine mood states before, during, and after a DMT session. Data is collected via observations made using a designated …

Movement, Laughter And Breath With Intergenerational Women: A Community Engagement Project About Connections, Lisa Hough

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This Community Engagement Project was created to explore how movement, laughter and breath can create connection for intergenerational women. A community event was facilitated at a suburban YWCA as an observational tool and for information gathering. Arts based research was conducted and evidence of non-verbal movements were recorded through observation, video recordings, and reflections from the participants in the session. In addition, published peer reviewed articles that explore these elements of expression were utilized as an alternative lens. Recent current events that are affecting women worldwide, such as the #metoo and Time's Up movements, offered the backdrop for this project. …

Integrating Expressive Therapies And Visual Literacy Skills In An Exceptional Children Classroom, Natalia Torres Del Valle

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The method conducted in this thesis integrated museum education, exceptional children education, and expressive arts therapy practices. Objectives for implementing the method were to learn how to effectively address the unique needs within the exceptional children classroom, as well as to collaborate with the teacher to address those needs through expressive arts therapy and visual literacy approaches. In so doing, I wanted to examine the differences and similarities between museum education and expressive arts therapy and how they can work together to meet therapeutic goals. The method took place over four sessions; each session focused on a work of art …

Mirroring, Social Learning And Dance Movement Therapy With Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review, Megan Fitzpatrick

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The literature review investigated the use of mirroring to help develop emotional understanding through social learning with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The research reviewed was used to further cognize how mirroring could give a child with ASD a better understanding of their own and others’ emotions through social learning. The findings revealed that mirroring could be an affective tool to build social awareness of emotions in children diagnosed with ASD. The mirror neuron system (MNS) is the area of the brain that assesses perception and production of movement creating an overlap. Using the idea of the mirror …

Fostering Social/Emotional Learning In A School Setting With Adolescents With Special Needs Through Collaborative Art Experiences, Alyssa Wood

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone focused on working with adolescents with special needs through art experiences. The framework in working with has evolved into the incorporation of social-emotional learning. Social-emotional benchmarks have been present in common themes in working with the special needs population. Art has been seen as a beneficial tool in therapeutic work with this population concerning cognitive growth, emotional regulation, adaptive behavioral styles, and physical development. This capstone specifically highlighted collaborative art and its role in an art group composed of adolescents in a school setting. Collaborative art experiences were presented through art partner work. Data was collected through observations, …

Using Trauma And Attachment-Informed Art Therapy To Promote Healing In Children In The Welfare System: A Literature Review, Jessica Q. Mctavish

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Children who have are placed in the child welfare system have often been exposed to a multitude of stressors and traumatic experiences, including: exposure to domestic abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect, in-utero substance abuse, and abandonment. In result, a child’s development and overall functioning may be severely impaired, to include an inability to regulate emotions and manage arousal, attentional difficulties, chronic elevation of cortisol levels, and low impulse control. Such children may also experience deficits in working memory, executive functioning, academic skills, and social-emotional functioning. Their ability to form healthy attachments may be impaired, and they are …

Exploring The Use Of Play In The Expressive Arts As Treatment For Traumatized Youth: A Literature Review, Julie Salvato

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review of the literature explored expressive therapies informed treatments for children who have experienced trauma in order to identify a healing mechanism within each treatment that was related to play. Patterns and commonalities in the research were documented in order to better understand the mechanism of play that appeared to be healing for the youth. The goal was to identify the elements within the mechanism as individual resources that could be applied in therapeutic interventions when treating traumatized youth in an effort to improve their lives and move them towards healing. This exploration also pointed to the importance of …

A Literature Review On Current Uses Of Art Therapy In Short-Term Adult Inpatient Setting, Saebyul Ryu

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Current short-term adult inpatient psychiatric treatment presents with multiple challenges to researchers and practitioners due to the extremely short length of stay (3-10 days). Other compounding factors that make this level of treatment difficult to navigate are multidisciplinary treatment team barriers and a heterogeneous group of patients and psychopathologies, all of which influence the quality of treatment provided. In this treatment approach, art therapy has been found to be under-utilized because of the scarcity of dedicated research that satisfies the needs of the short-term adult inpatient setting. As a result, the effectiveness of art therapy has not translated into the …

Using Children's Books To Build Empathy In Children, Kate Solow

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

An art therapy group was carried out to assess whether children’s books positively affected children’s ability to empathize. The group consisted of one therapist and three children aged 8, 9, and 10 in a therapeutic classroom. The group met for 30 minutes once a week. The children listened to a story, followed by a discussion and a related art project. Observations from each session were recorded in a spreadsheet. The results suggest that reading and discussing the books allowed the children to have a better understanding of their own and others’ emotions.

Using Music To Recognize And Regulate Emotions With At-Risk Adolescent Girls, Nicole Frederick

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Emotional regulation can be difficult for adolescents with histories of complex trauma. Listening to music is a useful coping mechanism when dysregulated. However, some children with complex traumas struggle to find appropriate music for this purpose, let alone listen to it with the intention of emotional regulation. This capstone is a reflection of an individual music therapy session focused on emotional regulation. Previous research on this topic has proven the efficacy of music as a tool for emotional regulation, but none approached in the way presented here. The sessions were held in a residential school for biologically female students unable …

How Art And Entrepreneurship Meet The Needs Of Homeless Youth, Lauren Blackerby

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The following thesis focuses on the idea of how art can meet the needs of homeless youth. First, the literature is examined to answer the questions: Who are homeless youth? What are their needs? And, how have their needs been met? Then there is a look into resiliency, what it is and how it relates to homeless youth. Finally, the disciplines of social work, health care, entrepreneurship, art education, and art therapy are examined in how these disciplines can each meet the specific needs of homeless youth. This thesis concludes by presenting a theoretical program focused on art education and …

From Ptsd To Dementia, Can Art Therapy Be Useful For Prevention And Intervention?, Souhad Chbeir

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review explores the possible link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the increased risk of developing dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic stress and trauma alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal pathway resulting in increased exposure to glucocorticoids (GC). The hippocampus, a memory center of the brain, is highly vulnerable to the effect of the stress hormone GC because of the high density of GC receptors. Continuous exposure to stress causes reduced hippocampal volume resulting in memory problems, trouble in trauma processing and long term health consequences, possibly including Alzheimer’s disease. Trauma also results in reshaping the amygdala, the center of emotions, causing …

Music Therapy Methods And Vocalizations: A Look Into One Boy's Process, Brooke Rutstein

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis project explores a detail-oriented music therapy approach used to elicit vocalizations and speech for an individual on the autism spectrum. Although there is compelling research on music therapy contributing to speech acquisition for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the methods discussed in the literature are vague and do not discuss the music itself in detail. Specifics would be helpful in order to allow these methods to be replicable. To explore specific musical elements, I administered five 30-minute music therapy sessions to a 12-year-old boy on the autism spectrum during his school day. During sessions, I measured …

Seeking More Exposure: A Literature Review Examining How Drama Therapy Can Be Used To Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Adults With Diverse Learning Differences, Emily Schwartz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

It has been suggested that adults with learning differences (LD) may be more susceptible to occurrences of violence, abuse, and neglect. However, there is presently limited research examining posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults with LD. Within this paper, existing literature of PTSD in adults with LD is reviewed. This review includes how symptoms of PTSD in adults with LD manifest, and what treatment approaches are currently being used with the population. According to the literature, it was determined that exposure therapy is frequently used to treat PTSD in adults with LD. This result is compared with exposure elements present …

Clay: Qualities, Benefits, And Therapeutic Applications A Literature Review, Sara Hansen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Clay is ubiquitous. It is uniquely durable and plastic. It is a substance sourced from the earth that has been manipulated in numerous ways and used for a variety of purposes for thousands of years. Despite this, art therapy research is heavily focused on art making using two-dimensional materials. Research is lacking regarding the use of clay as a medium in art therapy. This literature review revealed many therapeutic benefits and qualities about clay. These qualities include increasing mood in psychiatric patients, increasing progress in self-development for patients with schizophrenia, increasing self-expression with older adults, and healing from trauma. This …