Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Moving And Dancing Mindfully: A Community-Based Project For A Competitive Dance Team, Clare Terrio

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This graduate-level thesis explores the integration of mindfulness and Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) principles applied to the competitive dance community. Drawing from the personal experience and studies of DMT of the author, there is an exploration of the importance of mindfulness when fostering dancers' connection to their bodies and promoting wellbeing through a community-based project. A one-hour workshop titled "Moving and Dancing Mindfully" was conducted to explore these concepts with a competitive dance team (N = 18), aged fourteen to eighteen. The workshop took place at a dance studio located in a suburban, lower to middle-class community in the East …

Being With Shame: A Literature Review Exploring Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts Therapy For Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Ellen Wildhagen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review thematically explores the potential benefits of the Focusing-Oriented Expressive Art Therapy (FOAT) approach as a treatment for shame for adults survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The goals of this literature review are to discuss the characteristics, consequences and prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and its impact on subsequent pathology as well as outline terms and themes related to shame, dissociation, and avoidance; explore treatment models for working with shame-based negative sequelae for CSA survivors; investigate the theoretical models and benefits of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Sensorimotor for working with trauma and the body; condense the …

Expressive Therapies And Resiliency – Resistance In Mental Health: A Literature Review, Gabrielle Lopez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review evaluates the current literature on psychological resistance amongst human service professionals experiencing burnout and the effect of Expressive Arts interventions on resiliency. Concepts include identifying the main symptoms, risk factors, causes, and treatments for burnout in education faculty, medical staff, and clinicians. Qualitative, quantitative, and meta-analysis studies are included to identify the most prevalent intervention frameworks for reducing stress including Arts-Based and Mindfulness-compassion based techniques. The effectiveness of Arts-based tools on strengthening identity, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and meaning-making in combating burnout is presented. Based on analysis of the literature, the author proposes a three-step intervention framework for utilizing …

Literature Review Nature-Based Art Therapy Exploring Connections And Relationships, Janell Lopez-Curtis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Art therapy is a modality used in clinical psychotherapy. It is supported through both quantitative and qualitative research. Branching out from art therapy is nature-based art therapy. This branch of expressive therapies holds the potential to be beneficial as art therapy due to the interconnected access to the scientific fields of ecology, ecopsychology, art therapy, expressive therapies, and other nature-based therapeutic activities; this includes intersectionality in ecological theories such as ecofeminism and deep ecology as well. Through an exploration of literature, this paper will provide definitions and theory-based support through reviewing clinical psychotherapy, evidence-based practices, and art therapy theories. The …

Mindful Leadership And Climate Action, Matthew Law

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Organizations must get serious about reaching the goals for addressing Climate Action outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)13. The problem to solve is how the leaders who created the climate issues can be the leaders to make climate action happen. The development of mindful leaders within an organization is the answer to the problem. Mindful leaders are developed not only with the Inner Development Goal (IDG) framework which is developed to align and support the 17 SDGs of the United Nations. The development of mindful leaders comes from ancient and modern practices that draw from Buddhism, secular …

Mindful Moment Room & Ambassador Training Program: A Sustainable Mindfulness Program For Secondary Schools, Rebecca Archer

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Abstract

This thesis argues that sustainable mindfulness programming in secondary schools’ benefits teachers, students, and community members by providing a supportive school culture that values and nurtures holistic learning. The rationale for this project examines the contributions of mindful educators, the impact of mindfulness on social-emotional learning (SEL), the advantageousness of mindful students in secondary schools, and the significance of developing mindful school culture. The creative project for this thesis then outlines a school-based mindfulness program (SBMP) that integrates each of these components. This thesis project is a training manual that provides guidance on how to implement a sustainable mindfulness …

Narrowing The Gap: Bringing Mindfulness To Community-Based Mentoring, Kathleen Cormier

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Approximately 4.5 million youth in the United States participate in community-based mentoring programs, an accepted form of intervention worldwide. Adult mentors are typically paired with a minoritized, historically underserved youth (Rhodes, 2023). The mentor helps the youth navigate life’s roads and obstacles including academic, personal, and family issues, college transition, jobs, and mental health and wellness. Inherent in these relationships are generational and cultural gaps. Mindfully addressing these gaps can improve the relationship and lead to more successful outcomes.

Given the many challenges in our post-pandemic world, mentoring programs have never been more needed (Van Dam et al., 2022). The …

The Reinfusion Of Mindful Roots Into Power Yoga: A Mindfulness-Based Yogi Manual, Sarah Johnson

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The practice of modern yoga emphasizes the physical aspect of what was originally a contemplative tradition. Power yoga is perceived as a fitness experience that lacks an explicit articulation between the physical body and the mind. Investigating the roots of contemplative yoga through the language of mindfulness can bridge the divide between an intense external practice and one that can ultimately calm the mind. This thesis focuses on the recovery of mindfulness underlying modern yoga and encourages yoga teachers to reinfuse their power classes with the ancestral wisdom rooted in the practice.

Mindfulness Practices For Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Vince Banh

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This creative thesis project is intended to guide mindfulness instructors in offering a curriculum meant to instruct adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as potentially their families, teachers, and healthcare professionals in the use of mindfulness practices and principles to better manage the effects of ADHD on the adults’ personal and professional lives. The thesis is composed of a literature review and academic rationale discussion for the applicability of the principles and practices provided as well as a lesson plan and resources for the curriculum such as a syllabus, class presentation slides, and guided audio meditation recordings. The curriculum …

Finding Our Way Back Into The Body Through Somatic Movement: A Journey Through The Meanings And Challenges Of Mindfulness, Arwa Qutbuddin

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Mindful-movement practices such as walking meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong can support the cultivation and deepening of a sustained and embodied mindfulness practice. Because of their intrinsic gentleness, these practices are inherently trauma-sensitive, and can facilitate a gradual healing and re-integration of the body-mind through developing body-awareness. Mindfulness of the body is the first foundation of mindfulness practice. However, because of widespread misunderstandings around the meaning and definition of mindfulness, the bodyfullness in mindfulness practice is not always recognized and/or practiced. Furthermore, since bodily experience is seldom within one’s control, and because the body often times carries unresolved …

Wellness & Mindfulness For Black Women: A Transformative Four-Day Retreat, Kimberly Peavler

Mindfulness Studies Theses

In a world fraught with systemic injustices, where the intersecting forces of racism and misogyny

weigh heavily on the lives of Black women, there is a growing need for spaces of empowerment,

healing, and self-discovery. This thesis embarks on a profound journey into the transformative

potential of a culturally grounded four-day mindfulness and well-being retreat by creating and

presenting an experience explicitly tailored for Black women. The retreat is meticulously

designed to resonate with Black women's cultural and spiritual backgrounds. It uniquely fuses

Kemetic Yoga™ practices, mindfulness techniques, and candid discussions to dismantle

systemic oppression. The retreat provides a sanctuary …

Making Mindfulness More Accessible: A Practical Guide To Trauma-Informed Mindfulness, Leslie Formby

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Mindfulness is currently embedded in a growing understanding of how trauma permeates and adversely impacts peoples’ physical and psychological well-being. Increased awareness of the prevalence of trauma and its harmful effects has led to renewed interest in mindfulness to help manage the challenges generated by the detrimental effects of trauma.

These effects may draw people to mindfulness and, in turn, may make the benefits of mindfulness out of reach. Mindfulness methods and practice adaptations have been found to help trauma survivors experience the benefits of what the Buddha taught. As a support for those engaging in mindfulness and meditation, this …

Using Mindfulness To Enhance Interactive Reasoning In Elementary School Occupational Therapists, Elizabeth Rymarczyk

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Abstract

Occupational therapists (OTs) working in school settings must contend with student dysregulation, student skill deficits, staffing shortages, and increased workloads. The aftermath of COVID-19 has also played a role in exacerbating these issues. Mindfulness, with its focus on the present moment in a compassionate and non-judgmental way, has shown promising results in the area of occupational therapy. Though the research is encouraging, there are many gaps and unexplored areas, especially regarding school-based therapy. This paper first explores the current research, including current uses of mindfulness in occupational therapy and gaps related to mindfulness and occupational therapy. One particular model …

A Thought Is Just A Thought: A Buddhist Guide To Ocd, Naomi Matlow

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Evidence-based studies have shown that individuals can significantly recover from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder through the Cognitive Behavioural Therapies of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). However once the affliction is no longer categorized as a disorder in accordance with the diagnostic criteria, the process of thought, and often intrusive thought, remains. The OCD cycle of "thought to anxiety to compulsion” stems from a desire to reduce the suffering that the initial thought causes. This suffering comes in the form of negative feelings which often lead to compulsive behavior. The Buddhist path lays out a method for …

Evaluating The Benefits Of Mindfulness Based Practices In The Hospital Setting: A Case For Mindful Communication Interventions For Nurses, Annie Kaplon

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Recent stressors, such as COVID-19, have provided new challenges for healthcare workers, especially nurses, and have contributed to the increase in burnout rates in the hospital setting. Therefore, relief in this space is critical. Ample research demonstrates that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may help to improve well-being among healthcare providers more broadly. Literature supports that the practice of mindful communication, in particular, is helpful, not only in improving patient outcomes, but also in decreasing interpersonal stress among healthcare workers. This paper analyzes and synthesizes relevant studies, both qualitative and quantitative, and argues that mindful communication training improves the workplace environment for …

The Breath As A Holistic Regulator: An Expressive Arts Therapy Community Project, Jacobita Munoz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone offers the idea that evolution has challenged appropriate breathing and led humans to breathe incorrectly, thus negatively affecting their physical and mental health. As breath can damage the body, it can also serve as a regulator of the mind and body. This thesis points out the multiple effects when uniting controlled respiration, drumming and nature sounds. Breathing, music and nature have many things in common. These include repetition, pattern, awareness of the present moment and relaxation. They all contain a rhythm, and they offer self-regulatory skills. Music-based expressive arts therapies intervention is postulated to provide breathing techniques, united …

Art Therapy And Chronic Pain: Exploring Pain Tolerance, Body Sensations And Emotions, India Brown

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Over four weeks, topics of emotion, physical and body sensation, and chronic pain using art therapy were explored. The therapy provided a foundation for practicing mindfulness, increasing awareness, and expressing various symptoms such as somatic discomfort and emotional dysregulation. I co-facilitated a group consisting of individuals between the ages of 23 and 70 identifying as male or female, with a mix of white and black clients from the middle-class bracket. The group participated in art therapy and mindful meditation sessions in an outpatient program. Through this experience, I discovered that many individuals dissociate from their pain and emotional well-being. While …

La Pausa Sagrada: Embodiment Of Relational-Cultural Mindfulness- Development Of A Method, Annalise Reinhardt Kohlberger

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper addresses the history, theory, and practices in relational-cultural therapy (RCT), mindfulness, and phototherapy, the theoretical and philosophical foundations upon which I developed a method integrating related practices and approaches. The method combined relational cultural mindfulness, mindful photography, and phototherapy for promoting stress reduction and well-being in Mexican mothers of children with developmental disabilities. Research shows that parents of children with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience even greater amounts of parental stress, due to the child behavior problems presented in children with ASD and the holistic impact they have on family life (Torbet et al., 2019). …

The Potential Of Using Dance/Movement Therapy In Treating Depression In The Adult Population In Thailand: A Literature Review, Vararom Tavivoradilok

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Depression is becoming increasingly prevalent in Thailand, and while many depressive symptoms manifest through the physical body, there are few treatments for depression in Thailand that involve the physical body. Previous research suggests that Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) can effectively treat depression by incorporating the physical body and individuals’ embodied feelings into the treatment process. This literature review aims to explore the potential of incorporating DMT into the treatment for depression in the adult population in Thailand, by reviewing literature about DMT practice for depression and existing treatments for depression in Thailand. The findings suggest that while physical body incorporation …

Mindfulness-Based Gratitude: Curriculum Guide For An Online Six-Week Course, Anne Marie Pfeiffer

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This is a two-part paper. The first part of the paper presents research on how both mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and gratitude interventions (GIs) offer a promising way to help mitigate the physiological and psychological effects caused by chronic stress by increasing one’s overall sense of well-being (Keng et al., 2011; Wood et al., 2010). Individually, mindfulness and gratitude practices may enhance positive effect and well-being, which suggest that combining both practices may further increase positive outcomes (Hicks et al., 2017) due to their complementary nature. However, research should be approached with caution as there are many methodological limitations that need …

Mindful Artmaking In Elementary Classrooms: A Path To Emotional Regulation, Christine Gober

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Abstract

In an era dominated by technological advancements and mounting external pressures, the emotional and mental well-being of the younger generation is a growing concern. This research paper explores the intricate relationship between mindfulness, art-making, and emotional regulation within the context of elementary classrooms. The modern world, filled with a plethora of stimuli, has escalated stress levels among individuals, especially children, leading to a surge in mental health issues. Mindfulness, deeply rooted in ancient traditions, teaches individuals to stay present, fostering a non-judgmental awareness of their thoughts and emotions. Art-making, on the other hand, serves as a medium for emotional …

Understanding Grief Through The Eyes Of A Child (Ages 3-12): Mindfulness And Other Mindful Modalities As Supportive Tools, Clare Duplace

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This study demonstrates how mindfulness and other mindful modalities can be supportive tools for children experiencing grief and loss. The literature reflects the importance of understanding the ways in which children grieve at varying ages and developmental stages, facilitating grief and death-related conversations, the connection between mindfulness and grief and the use of mindfulness-based interventions within the realms of grief and death. This thesis is supported through findings from peer-reviewed articles, books, podcasts, activities, and meditations. The creative project aims to reflect that grief and loss-related experiences can be openly talked about and supported through appropriate resources and mindful modalities …

A Mindfulness-Based Intervention For Educators: Cultivating Self-Awareness And Self-Compassion To Increase Well-Being And Mitigate Burnout, Emily Squyres

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Mindfulness-based interventions that include an element of self-compassion training are beneficial in mitigating burnout and increasing educator well-being when implemented in the educational workplace. The recent and continuing interaction with the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of actively cultivating collective mental health. Schools can no longer take a passive stance when it comes to bolstering resilience regarding mental health and well-being of their educators. The impact of negative stressors precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with other recent cultural and occupational phenomena, have taken a toll on mental resilience. To support educators, mindfulness interventions may be offered as a …

Childhood Learning Through Mindful Sensory Experiences In Nature: Attentive Earth And Body– A Five-Lesson Educator’S Guide, April Andrescavage

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The benefits of spending time outside in nature are well documented for children. However, due to both micro and macro systems level causes, children are spending less time in nature than they have in the past. Children spend a large amount of time in school, which makes it the perfect setting to incorporate more time outside into their day. This paper begins with a review of current and historical literature around the themes of childhood experiential learning, nature exposure, and mindfulness experiences that focus on sensory learning. This research has informed the development of the creative project titled Attentive Earth …

How A Mindfulness-Based Professional Development Program Supports More Ethical And Equitable Philanthropy, Tref Borden

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Philanthropy serves a vital role in the United States, bringing resources and support to a vibrant field of nonprofit organizations serving community needs. Despite its noble goals to better humankind, philanthropy often does harm through its grantmaking practices, perpetuating hierarchical power structures and inequity, and exacerbating the wealth and income gap that increasingly divides the country. This paper examines the structural, systemic aspects of philanthropy that foster potentially harmful practices and highlights ethical challenges in the field, and then demonstrates how mindfulness offers a means of countering those challenges to support a more ethical, equitable, and effective sector. A mindfulness-based …

Seeing And Unlearning Whiteness: A Mindfulness Workshop For Racial Justice, Emily Haranas

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Racism is a deeply embedded, foundational aspect of American society. However, because the privilege of Whiteness insulates White individuals from the workings of systemic injustice and oppression and enables them to choose the conditions of their accountability in the movement for racial justice, many remain painfully blind to this fact. As such, there is a significant need for those who have been racialized White to develop a critical awareness of the powers and privileges ascribed to their racial identity. The working premise of this thesis is that mindfulness can assist White individuals in unlinking the socialized habits of mind that …

Unlocking Creativity In The Visual Arts: Using Mindfulness And Open Awareness Meditation To Access Creative Insight, Erin Gocinski

Mindfulness Studies Theses

An artist's creativity is a vital resource, so it is important to nourish this internal phenomenon and develop helpful techniques when they experience a creative block. Researchers have discovered that mindfulness and meditation positively affect artists' ability to access creative insight. The research reviewed in this rationale paper demonstrates beneficial experiences for artists who are trying to foster creativity or move beyond a creative block. After reviewing research, there were common threads linking the reasons for artists’ creative blocks and the positive impacts of mindfulness and meditation. The creative project is a handbook designed for artists and provides information, meditative …

From Mud: Lessons Of Mindfulness Found In Clay Work, Casey Williams

Mindfulness Studies Theses

A significant part of the earth's history, clay represents the interconnectedness of all life. While clay has long been used in the field of art therapy, the use of the material in mindfulness has been unfolding. This creative thesis explores the significance of clay to humankind. It reviews Buddhist literature and text to identify the elements and parallels of clay work that make it a compelling contemplative material. Neuroscientific research that connects the mind and body interaction further make the case for clay work as an effective mindfulness-based practice. The creative component of this thesis is a clay retreat that …

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 …

The Bodhichitta Way: Igniting Mindful Leadership From Within - An 8-Week Online Program, Paula Ledbetter

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This paper investigates ways in which the practice of mindfulness can positively influence workplace leadership. Mindfulness-based approaches, when woven together with compassion, self-awareness, and meditation, cultivate qualities of effective mindful leadership that are essential in today’s workforce. Within this creative thesis, I developed an eight-week online training program for leaders to build foundational mindfulness practices necessary for optimizing meaningful connections in their daily work-life. The online training is based in experiential learning, self-reflection, and meditation practice. Research shows that there is significant benefit to incorporating mindfulness in the workplace. The purpose of this paper and online training is to provide …