Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Positive Self Imagery Collage: An Expressive Arts Therapy Intervention Developed For Adolescents In A Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program, Mackenzie Lee

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis describes an intervention for adolescents in a virtual, group-based partial hospitalization program (PHP). Research in various effective therapeutic methods including supportive music and imagery (SMI), trauma-informed art therapy with adolescents, strength-based psychology, and digital artmaking informed my intervention, “Positive Self Imagery Collage” (PSIC). Group members created virtual collages representative of a SMI experience designed to imagine oneself “trying on” positive traits. PSIC was implemented in a virtual PHP via Zoom for adolescents. The intervention was documented through personal journaling and virtual artmaking. PSIC took place multiple times between January and March 2021, each time with a new set …

Abstract Art And Its Effects On Stress In High School Students: Development Of A Method, Shera Weintraub

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Stress in schools has become an increasing problem within the United States. Adolescents struggle with high rates and high levels of anxiety due to many pressures surrounding them, especially expectations from school. Due to their growing brains, stress and anxiety during this time can affect future functioning. It is crucial that teens learn ways to manage stress levels now, so they can develop healthy coping skills that can continue into adulthood. There has been plenty of research on art therapy and its benefits for mental health in this population. This study investigates the effects of abstract art on stress …

Return To An Integrated Self: Using Dance/Movement Therapy With Survivors Of Juvenile Human Sex Trafficking, A Literature Review, Lauren Zampieri

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

As Juvenile Sex Trafficking (JST) has gained more attention over the past few decades, more attention has also been given to the treatment of the survivors. While there has been significant research regarding treatment of JST survivors and the subsequent symptoms that come with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to sexual trauma, little attention has been given to the re-integration process of survivors of JST. Reintegration will include an understanding of intrapersonal emotions, processing the dissociative subtype of PTSD, rebuilding trust of self and others, and re-forming interpersonal relationships post-trauma. Through practice, there have been promising results from the use …

How Art Can Be Used To Grieve And Heal: Making Altered Books With Parentally Bereaved Adolescents, Samantha Adams

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Death is a natural and inevitable part of life. The grief response to death is also natural, yet children’s grief is often overlooked. Many believe that children are not capable of grief because their brains are still developing or that they do not understand what death is and therefore cannot grieve. It is true that a child will grieve differently than an adult, but they still experience grief. This paper focused on children and adolescents who have experienced the death of a parent and how they use art to grieve in a healthy way. Existing research supports the benefits of …

Mapping The Dissociated Body, Elizabeth Hough

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis explored the use of body mapping and body scans as a tool for assessing and tracking somatic dissociation and embodiment. The researcher utilized a clientcentered approach and mindfulness-based interventions and theory to ground the work with the clients. While there were a variety of questionnaire-based tools for assessing dissociation with clients, many of them were lacking in the somatic component of dissociation. The available assessments were also exclusively self-reported and written or verbal, which had the potential to result in biased reporting. Clients may have also struggled to identify their level of somatic dissociation due to an …

Art Therapy As A Tool For Enhancing Adolescent Identity Formation, Self-Knowing, And Empowerment., Victoria Force

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescence is a pivotally important developmental stage for individuals. During this time, adolescents begin the journey of discovering the many facets of their identities. This capstone thesis explores how the discipline of art therapy can aid adolescents in the formation of their understanding of specific parts of their identities. Workshops offered at a community mental health organization collected data via surveys, observable experiences, and art. These workshops offered clients a safe space to artistically express their identity. Results of the exercise provide indications that art therapy could be used as a positive aid in adolescent identity formation.

A Trauma-Informed Art Therapy Approach For Boys With Sexualized Problematic Behaviors: A Group Method, Rebecca Cyr

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Treatment of sexualized problematic behaviors (SPB) in children and adolescents is a clinically significant issue that has little research to support the fundamental need for treatment. Sexualized problematic behaviors (SPB) can be an indication of a child’s own complex trauma and sexual abuse history. Using a relational, trauma-informed, and developmental approach to treatment in combination with art therapy, children demonstrating SPB can learn how to better express themselves, respect themselves and others, and heal a fragmented sense of self. Developmentally, these children and adolescents are in the stage where identity formation is the main task. Therefore, this series of art …

A Nature- Informed Expressive Arts Therapy Method And Group Participation In Youths, Ella E. Huzdovich

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to implement the elements of nature inside a group therapy room in an adolescent partial hospitalization program. This was a comparative study where two groups were led before environment was changed, and two groups were led after environment was changed. The group therapy room was redesigned after the first two groups were conducted. Added to the group therapy room was a 100 x 144 inch forest mural that covered one entire wall, a diffuser that released a forest scent, two large indoor plants, and playing in the background were birds chirping synchronous …

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 …

Using Bilateral Art/Drawing With Adolescents That Suffer From Trauma With Self-Regulations Issues In Residential Setting, Sharon Fortier-O'Dea

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis reviews how the use of art therapy intervention with adolescents that have experienced traumatic events in their lives resulting in problems of self-regulation. Due to the adolescent experiences from their childhood, these individuals did not get a chance to learn how to self-regulate their emotions, caused by maltreatment, abuse and the lack of guidance. Trauma affects a child’s development at the stage that incident happened and blocks the child from properly achieving milestones of growth. The adolescent’s self-regulation skills may have not developed due to the impact of trauma. Furthermore, the experience of being at a residential treatment …

Exploring The Use Of Altered Books As A Tool For Self-Care With Adolescent Girls Diagnosed With Eating Disorders In A Residential Treatment Facility, Lucy Williams

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Art therapy has been implemented in eating disorder treatment facilities to aid in a multidisciplinary approach to treating a complex disorder; which is complemented by anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Those that practice art therapy in these settings are witness to its benefits, but few studies have explored the potential benefits of specific art-making in different levels of care. The goal of art therapy with this population is to provide a means for communication and expression to help explain how one is feeling about, thinking about and understanding their disorder. Informed by the research of art therapy …