Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Role Method As A Means Of Emotional Regulation: A Development Of A Method With Dysregulated Adults In A Php Setting, Meghan Owen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Emotional dysregulation is comorbid with a wide spectrum of mental health diagnoses. However, in a partial hospital program (PHP) setting, the roots of emotional dysregulation cannot be thoroughly treated due to the temporary nature of such programs, despite its impact on the wellness of clients. Yet, it has the potential to be explored more in-depth through drama therapy techniques due to the distanced and playful methods of the practice. This thesis method explores the effect of a strengths-based, drama therapy intervention in a PHP setting. The method took place over four sessions, with a fluctuating group ranging from five to …

On Developmental Transformations And Neural Integration: A Literature Review, Savannah White

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis presents developmental transformations (DvT) and explores this technique’s connections with neural integration. Developmental transformations is an improvised drama therapy technique (Johnson, 2013). Neural integration is what occurs when the different parts of the brain are working together (Siegel, 2020). Domains of integration are the different parts of the mind that are attempting to work together (Siegel, 2010a). This thesis aims to demonstrate how elements and techniques of DvT may facilitate neural integration. Background in both areas is provided, then specific concepts, skills, and methods of developmental changes are connected to domains of integration. Practical applications are reviewed, and …

Widening The Lens, Capturing The Gaps: Dbt And Phototherapy, A Critical Review Of The Literature, Megan Mcelroy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis presents a new exploration into the possibility of connecting the powers of phototherapy and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as well as inquiring into the idea that this integration could make a positive change in the gaps that exist in the mental health care system. This inquiry is important because both are powerful, research-supported methods that help populations that have been historically overlooked in the mental health field. However, there are many populations and diagnoses that are currently still either being glazed over or not receiving the specialized, competent, and compassionate care that is required for effective treatment. I …

Thoughts, Feelings, Actions; The Brevity Of Being: A Haiku Method, Scott Medeiros

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The difficulties of delivering clinical services during the pandemic showed that there was a need for interventions that were able to be adapted to virtual sessions. In addition, lack of training and expertise regarding specialized therapies require modern day clinicians to be able to synergize current theory with the reality of the mental health landscape. In this study, 19 individuals participated in a psychoeducation group that taught a therapeutic thought mapping technique that was then adapted towards the creation of a haiku. It was noticed that participants were able to learn a psychological concept, apply it towards their life, create …

A Literature Review: Posttraumatic Growth In Trauma Recovery Using Art Therapy: "How A Superhero Learns To Fly", Patricia Ezzard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review examines posttraumatic growth (PTG), a psychological construct based on the phenomenon of transformative, positive changes experienced by an individual or a community after struggling with trauma(s) and adverse life events. The intention of this capstone thesis is to explore processes in art therapy (AT) that enable PTG and broaden trauma recovery practices by focusing on well-being rather than pathology. This review examines quantitative, qualitative, and arts-based research that explored PTG directly and indirectly using AT, which revealed large gaps in PTG and AT research. Creativity, positive art therapy, social and community support, mindfulness, spirituality, and channeling confidence …

Examining Cbt With Music As An Early Psychosis Intervention: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Andrew Maher

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This critical literature review investigates the use of music therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy-based treatments for use in early psychosis intervention with adolescents and young adults. It examines the format of cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp), music therapy, and cognitive behavioral music therapy (CBMT) treatments and the effectiveness of the treatments in reducing symptoms of psychosis. The literature reviewed consists of peer-reviewed journals, books, essays, and research studies that address the theory, structure, application, and outcomes of treatment for psychosis in first-episode cases. The literature is organized by introducing the presentation of first-episode psychosis, then by review of CBTp, …

Where I’M From: Internal Manifestations Among Cambodian Women Using The Expressive Arts A Literature Review, Noeun Chhim

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Chronic mental illness has affected many Cambodian people, but, culturally, Cambodians aren’t accustomed to opening up and discussing their feelings, rather defining mental illness to craziness and seeking help is presumed taboo. Thus, Cambodians are often reluctant to talk about their experiences and/or their related illnesses. Though Cambodians have experienced inconceivable suffering and violence during the Khmer Rouge era, for the purpose of this thesis, I will be discussing the role of Cambodian women and investigate the extent of what they’ve witnessed and experienced. Cambodian women have suffered through many years of trauma and grief, during and after the Khmer …

Musical Theatre And Drama Therapy: A Duet For Dementia, Amy Bingen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The purpose of this capstone thesis is to explore the potential of developing musically informed dramatic interventions that directly support the quality of life (QoL) for patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Alzheimer's disease (AD) is progressive, causing people to lose their memory and thinking skills and eventually carrying out simple daily tasks. Researchers estimate that more than 5 million Americans live with AD today. There is no known cure for dementia, but treatment care has evolved into person-centered, non-pharmacological approaches often involving expressive art interventions to channel a patient's creative strengths. Research has become increasingly valuable in …

Music Therapy And Self-Esteem: A Method On Building Self-Esteem In Children With Special Needs, Chris Thomann

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Self-esteem is an aspect of life that can affect how humans act. It is always ebbing and flowing, and typically never starts at the same level. Studies have shown that self-esteem in children with special needs is typically low because of varying symptoms associated with different diagnoses. Music therapy is an expressive therapy modality, and it can be utilized to increase levels of self-esteem by providing structure, predictability, and familiarity. It can be utilized to help meet a client’s goals while being adaptable to any client’s needs. Music improvisation is a tool within music therapy that can allow clients to …

Exploring Songwriting With Bereaved Adolescents: A Literature Review, Jordan Waters

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review explores and identifies essential aspects of songwriting with bereaved adolescents. First, it provides a description of grief and its processes with primary theoretical models. This is followed by a deeper look into adolescent grief, how it has been viewed in Western culture, along with and corresponding mental health needs. Expressive arts and music therapy approaches to grief and loss are explored, including a detailed of songwriting with bereaved adolescents. Improvisation and therapeutic relationship were found to be two crucial aspects to effective songwriting interventions with bereaved adolescents; person-centered approaches were used to develop authentic relationships with adolescent …

Toward Holistic Mental Wellness: A Literature Review Of Mindfulness-Based And Focusing-Oriented Art Therapies, Lesley Vernon

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Modern day living, for all its benefits, is synonymous with record levels of stress. The mental health clinician’s role is to assist clients in accessing the skills and tools necessary to reduce and alleviate the symptoms of stress-induced anxiety. Mindfulness is emerging as a potent and effective tool to restore one’s state of well-being. Likewise, engaging in art therapy has been shown to reduce stress and foster resilience. Grounded in humanistic and existential theories, this literature review aimed to assess the impact and effectiveness of two intermodal holistic therapies, specifically mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) and focusing-oriented art therapy (FOAT). A …

Queering Clinical Spaces Through Gender Discussions Development Of A Method: Collage And Creative Storytelling At An Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, Kierstyn Brady

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A lack of queer acceptance in all areas of life has been shown in large-scale studies to exacerbate the mental health needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals. LGBTQIA+ youth are at a particular risk for suicidality, self-harm, low self-esteem, and other extreme adverse mental health outcomes if their support network does not accept their identity, according to research. Because LGBTQIA+ youth are at a greater risk of adverse mental health outcomes, it is essential for higher levels of mental health care to address the needs of the queer community. The exclusion of queer-inclusive subjects from the partial hospitalization program (PHP) group curriculum …

Accessing The Ecosphere: An Indoor Nature-Based Community Expressive Arts Therapy (Exat) Exploration Project, Heather Powers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis posits that when humans connect and maintain a relationship with nature, their mental health improves. Humans have developed from and within Earth’s ecosystem, making our relationship with nature a necessary acknowledgement that the self is more than a corporeal body but is, in fact, embedded within the natural world around us. The current overwhelming dependence on electronic advancements and the development of urban areas have led people to become more distant in their relationship to nature, putting the overall well-being of the planet in jeopardy. This thesis points out that the more separation we feel from nature, …

Building Community: A School-Based Art Reflection Method For Newcomer Students During Covid-19, Kate Johnson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescent students who migrated during the COVID-19 pandemic are especially vulnerable to negative mental health outcomes. Research supports that school-based services provide protective resources to newcomer students that may be inaccessible outside of public-school settings. Expressive art therapies are some of the most successful interventions used with newcomer students, and the context of the pandemic offers a new opportunity to study the benefits of arts-based methods within their classrooms. For adolescents navigating cultural adjustment in the midst of a pandemic, trauma-informed research signals that community-building is a key strategy for protecting students from negative mental health symptoms. Art and craft …

Storytelling And Narrative Therapy Through Art Among Refugee Children: A Literature Review, Haley E. Lansing

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review introduces the importance of art therapy, storytelling, and narrative therapy for refugee children. While familiarizing themselves with a new habitat and way of living, this population battles being a minority, an immigrant, learning a new culture and language, and social-economic difficulties. This literature review brings to light the challenges and difficulties children face within their own trauma and anxiety. The passing on of trauma generationally, historically, culturally, or genetically is common, as is parents’ countertransference. Re-adaptation is essential for children who experience trauma, especially when escaping war. Childhood trauma affects the future adult state of mind. This …

Preparing For An Unpredictable Future: A Community Engagement Project, Rebecca Coates-Finke

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The COVID-19 Pandemic has upended lives across the world for the past two years, and it is hard for anyone to say if or when life will return to what we may have called “normal.” Communities must learn how to support and protect one another in rapidly changing circumstances, while holding space for the collective trauma and grief of this pandemic. In this thesis, there is a review of literature regarding trauma, collective healing within communities and families, and COVID’s impact on Jewish communities, with a particular focus on drama therapy. This is followed by a description of a workshop …

Using Animal As Metaphor In Drama Therapy With Psychiatric Patients In An Intensive Outpatient Program Group Therapy Session: An Intervention, Juliana Fort

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Drama therapy may be uniquely suited to help people with mental illness who have negative beliefs about what it means to be mentally ill. It focuses on helping the individual expand their sense of what a person with mental illness can be, as well as their awareness of the other roles they may play in their lives. In the current study, the author developed a drama therapy intervention for psychiatric patients in an intensive outpatient program (IOP). The intervention uses pre-made cards that depict images of various animals. During the intervention, the participants were asked to discuss how they …

Examining The Role And Benefits Of Dmt In Adults With Down Syndrome: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Melissa Briggs

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This critical literature review investigates the use of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a form of treatment for adults diagnosed with Down syndrome (DS). It examines how DMT can help adults with DS achieve higher functioning, enhanced well-being, and realize a greater sense of self-identity. The existing literature includes research studies, peer-reviewed articles, juried journals, theses, and dissertations which address how DMT has been used alone or in conjunction with other expressive therapies, to improve the overall quality of life in adults with DS. The material reviewed is organized according to the outcomes and benefits conferred upon adults with DS who …

Development Of A Method - All In The “Letters”: Exploring The Relationship Between Expressive Arts Therapy And The Grieving Process With Adolescents, Robby Auld

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There are more than 5.3 million bereaved youth in the United States (Judi’s House/JAG Institute & The New York Life Foundation, 2022), a number that is only growing. Finding effective therapeutic interventions for bereaved youth is an ethical imperative. This capstone thesis considers the relationship between expressive therapies and bereavement work with adolescents, specifically the use of expressive arts therapy. Grief theories are explored in a literature review, along with a survey of existing empirical research conducted using expressive therapies with bereaved populations. Few empirical studies have focused on expressive arts therapy and bereavement work with adolescents, an observation which …

Art Therapy Interventions For Fear Of Childbirth: A Model For Implementing Expressive Arts Interventions In Prenatal Populations, Cheyne West

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone investigates fear of childbirth (FOC) and correlated prenatal anxiety and/or prenatal depression. This literature review examines the current research related to FOC in prenatal birthing populations and art therapy interventions. Careful considerations were taken in regard to language for this population. Gender neutral terminology is used to be inclusive of trans, non-binary, and queer pregnancies. FOC is common, affecting about 80% of birthing individuals (O’Connell et al., 2021). Symptoms and implications for FOC are vast, including anxiety, depression, preeclampsia, increased medical inventions, and possible long term mental health risks. The baby's wellbeing is also affected by FOC, including …

Creating Order Out Of Chaos: A Method Of Cognitive Behavioral Art Therapy For Psychosis (Cbatp), Alexandra Hayes

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Psychosis is a mental health condition in which an individual loses touch with reality. Therefore, it is often considered difficult to study and treat and highly stigmatized. Left untreated, psychosis can have devastating and debilitating effects on the individual and their loved ones. The integration of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and art therapy (AT) as cognitive behavioral art therapy (CBAT) may yield greater benefits to individuals with psychosis than either treatment method administered alone. Using a combined approach of AT and CBT may aid delivery of therapy, reinforce skill retention and feelings of mastery, and facilitate social interactions. This capstone …

Moral Distress And Allostatic Overload In Clinicians: Mitigating Burnout Through Expressive Arts Therapy - A Literature Review, Kate Salonen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Work-related stress conditions such as burnout and moral distress have been observed to have significant negative impacts on the mental and physical health of helping professionals, contributing to higher allostatic load and stress-related disease, higher rates of job turnover, and overall poorer consumer outcomes. This paper provides an overview of burnout, moral distress, and allostatic overload pertaining to clinicians, and discusses the unique potential of Expressive Arts Therapy as an intervention for mental health providers experiencing moral distress, toward mitigation of stress-related impacts on provider mental and physical well-being. Analysis of available literature in each topic area was completed through …

A Dance Movement Therapy Tool: To Name It To Tame It: A Development Of A Method With Grieving Children And The Four Zones Of Emotional Regulation, Khary Green

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Emotions have the capacity to influence the body at every level. Research studies have confirmed that emotions can be recognized from facial expressions and linked to the four zones of regulation (Ekman, 1972). The study aimed to help children identify their feelings and teach them strategies that would support them in coping with their feelings. This thesis explored ways clients can be aware of themselves and the skills needed to improve their understanding and tolerance of emotions. The method contributed to the current literature on emotion regulation and bereavement. The data collected were from several parts of written journals and …

Healing Collective Generational Trauma And Building Resilience Through Art Therapy, Ruzanna Carter

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Current research is limited in the transmission of transgenerational trauma. Most

of the research available on the topic was specific to the survivors of the

Holocaust. The focus in this thesis is on the Armenian population and how the

trauma of the wars and the Genocide has transmitted to future generations and

continues to impact the population today. The literature reviewed for this topic

explored how trauma transcends these generations but also how the resilience

transcends. My goal was to help build resilience through the artmaking

process more in the style of Jungian art therapy in a semi-open studio structure. …

Magic At Work! Exploring How Expressive Arts Therapies Support Healing From Trauma And Adverse Childhood Experiences: Developing A Method For Adolescents, Kendra Grant

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis investigated how expressive art therapy interventions based on imagination, creativity, and magical thinking can help facilitate adolescents' emotional development and healing. The study focused on how adolescents can grow and heal from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and/or trauma by revisiting imaginative play and creativity, where the impossible is possible and magic exists; a place where they can explore and play again through externalized methods. The use of imagination in the healing of adolescents was explored through the development of a two-phase intervention (a) creating their own mythical creature and (b) building a home for their mythical creature. There …

Healing Our Connection With Nature: An Expressive Arts Community Engagement Project, Meghan Mccrillis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A community engagement project was created and implemented, comprised of two events for which the author facilitated nature-based expressive arts experiences to explore the integration of nature and expressive arts therapy. The events were offered to two different groups of community members, one for nature-curious adults held outdoors on the trails of a local conservation trust, and another for young children at a local library. The healing impact of nature connection and nature connection experiences are explored through a literature review, event methods, and the author’s personal experiences of the project via artmaking. The results include an emphasis on nature …

Prioritizing Bereavement In Counseling Education And Expressive Therapies: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Kayla Frazer

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Bereavement is a topic of clinical counseling that is limited in the education of clinical counselors. This is possibly due to bereavement not being a required course for state licensure or CACREP standards; thus, it stands as a lower priority for colleges/universities to offer a course in this subject. I sought to research new counselors’ perspectives on supporting clients who have experienced bereavement as they may not have had any foundational education on bereavement. Multiple articles have recommended that bereavement should be a prioritized course in master’s level counseling education. As an expressive arts therapy student and counselor in training, …

Dance Movement Therapy For Neurological Development In Ages 0-3: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Anna Rupert

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The effects of movement on neurodevelopment have been studied by many in both the psychology and neuroscience fields. However, there is a lack of research into the specific ways in which movement is being used to affect neurodevelopment and which specific types of movement most benefit neurodevelopment. This study aims to bridge that gap in the literature by investigating how movement impacts neurological development in infants aged 0-3. Research was pulled from peer reviewed journals using Lesley Library, Syracuse University Library, and Google Scholar and synthesized into four key categories: neurodevelopment in infants aged 0-3, impacts of experience and culture …

Dance Movement Therapy Interventions To Build Coping Skills And Identity In Adolescent Patients Dealing With A Cancer Diagnosis: Development Of A Method, Ariel Hortin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescents are a special category in pediatric oncology because of their unique physical and mental development. This patient population has needs specific to both their development and cancer diagnosis. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) focuses on building awareness of inner sensations so that the patient can then connect those observations with felt emotions and thoughts. Connecting the physical experience with the emotional experience can provide helpful information for the patient as a tool for change. Building and strengthening relationships with family members also strengthens the critical support system for the patient. Dance Movement Therapy interventions may be effective in working with …

Expressive Therapies And Suicidality In Youth, Emily Devlin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Youth suicide is a serious, global public health issue necessitating a transdisciplinary approach to treatment and prevention. The creative processes underlying expressive therapies (i.e., drama therapy, music therapy, art therapy, dance/movement therapy, and expressive arts therapies) provide a unique opportunity for mental health clinicians to address the destructive experiences underlying suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, or death by suicide). Empirical studies utilizing expressive therapies with suicidal youth are scarce, and the field of suicidology does not highlight expressive therapies, creative arts therapies, or arts-based psychotherapies within suicide prevention. This thesis explores the overlap that does exist between expressive therapies …