Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

All In The Image: Nightmares, Posttraumatic Stress, And Expressive Therapy: Critical Literature Review, Emma Geller

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper reviews the therapeutic potential of combining expressive therapy approaches with dreamwork protocol in treating recurrent nightmares seen in populations with PTSD. The intersection between the dreaming state, nightmares, dreamwork, and trauma can provide important insights into the purpose of dreaming, subconscious processing of trauma, and effective treatments for individuals struggling with nightmares. Clinical implications of dreamwork are considered in working with posttraumatic stress disorder along with this condition’s connection to recurrent nightmares. In working with trauma and the arts at a sensory and affective level of experience, there is potential for individuals to explore and process their recurrent …

Embodied Integration: How Expressive Arts Therapy Supports Self-Regulation In Adults With Complex Ptsd (A Literature Review), Alexandra Orgera

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder presents a unique challenge in healing due to the absence of a foundation of safety and self-regulation that results from repeated exposure to traumatic stress. This narrative literature review explores the current research on establishing this foundation as a crucial first step in complex PTSD treatment and examines how engaging in expressive arts therapy can foster self-regulation and create new, positive experiences for these clients. Drawing on clinical experience and neurobiological research, the author proposes a model conceptualizing self-regulation as an embodied, holistic process that results from left and right brain integration at multiple levels of …

Opening The Trauma Window: Embodied Storytelling With Adolescent Survivors Of Domestic Violence, April Reck

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescents who have experienced trauma may develop a neutral state, which they use to shield themselves from the trauma so they can perform daily life tasks. Though it is acknowledged in the literature that trauma lives in the body, adolescent survivors of trauma may often stay in this neutral state until they seek mental health services. This thesis asks: How can drama therapy’s core processes, such as embodiment, widen the window of tolerance of an adolescent who has experienced trauma to begin to feel emotions beyond the neutral state and become open to new roles? The method that I have …

Embodied Queerness: Exploring Cultural Dimensions Of Asian Queer Body Narratives, A Literature Review, Wanyi Huang

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The author explores the Asian queer narrative by investing in related articles and literature on body art in this capstone thesis. In the thesis, body art is identified as a way of self-expression that serves as a creative outlet for play, artistic expression, and advocacy. The concept of body modifications, such as tattoos or piercings, can be viewed as acts of resistance to challenging societal norms. In a larger scope, it can also include changing body shape, such as fitness and cosmetic surgery (Pitts, 2000). People engage in body modification practices to express themselves to the world, show creativity, and …

Expressive Arts Therapy To Support Positive Experiences Of Embodiment Among Rural Lgbtq+ Adults: A Literature Review, Ann Stromgren

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper investigates the use of expressive arts therapy to support LGBTQ+ adult clients in rural communities. Caring professionals in rural areas often lack training on how to work with LGBTQ+ clients, and best practices for clinical mental health counseling with rural LGBTQ+ clients have yet to be defined. Some evidence suggests that using “metronormative” best practices with rural clients may be irrelevant or cause harm (Giano et al., 2020). Although some recommendations exist for using expressive therapies with LGBTQ+ clients, they are rarely evidence-based, as very few empirical studies exist evaluating the effectiveness of expressive therapy interventions with LGBTQ+ …

Intersections In Clowning And Drama Therapy’S Core Processes, Brett Alters

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explores potential intersections of drama therapy and an embodied clowning exercise known as leading centers. The aim is to further establish relations and a common lexicon between therapeutic circus arts and drama therapy. To guide this coupling, drama therapy’s newly revised core processes per Frydman et al. (2022) were utilized as a framework when coding the leading center exercise. Three out of seven drama therapy core processes were investigated: embodiment, dramatic projection, and distancing. These were determined to be most salient for the purposes of this thesis as they were recently the most emergent core processes coded in …

The Dance/Movement Embodied Experience Of Grief And Loss Using The Five Senses: Development Of A Clinical Method, Yarmisha Cofield

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

According to recent grief and loss research, creative arts therapy can help people heal after losing something or someone. However, there is little research to support the use of dance/movement therapy (DMT) in the adult population. This literature review investigated grief and loss, with a particular emphasis on embodied grief and how and where grief is carried in the physical body. Furthermore, this study of the literature extended on the implementation of DMT and the five senses with adults experiencing embodied grief, as well as body-based techniques to assist these individuals in understanding their loss. This was an essential subject …

Playful Dance/Movement Therapy For Traumatized Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: Development Of A Clinical Method, Teagan Collis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis project explored the potential for dance/movement therapy (DMT) to be an accessible and effective treatment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that have been impacted by trauma. People with IDD are more vulnerable to adverse life events than the neurotypical population. Past research has largely used treatment designed for neurotypical people who communicate and interpret life events in different ways than people with IDD. The expressive arts therapies, and DMT specifically, have the potential to create a positive embodied experience for people with IDD that have been impacted by trauma. The current method consisted of …

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 …

The Implications Of Stillness In Dance/Movement Therapy And Its Significance In The Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Literature Review, Fernanda Greco Quentel

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There is a large body of research showing that Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is an effective method for treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). However, many individuals still might not improve after exposure and other behavioral approaches. Current research has explored the role of interoception in OCD and highlighted the need for addressing physiological experiences in treatment. Research shows that the population with OCD might experience more distress than the general population when engaging in states of rest (Gehrt et al., 2020). This literature review explored how stillness in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) could be conductive in increasing an individual’s …

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

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 handle …

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 …

Drama Therapy Interventions That Support Students With Asd During Covid-19, Olivia Reyes

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that began in December 2019, many people experienced traumatic losses, environmental stressors, and overall daily challenges. One of the populations most at risk during this time were those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Those with mental health illness and developmental differences are experiencing the pandemic in different ways. Individuals with ASD tend to have both developmental differences and mental health challenges that motivate individuals to seek medicinal and therapeutic help, along with other services to support their daily needs. This literature review addresses the negative and positive impacts COVID-19 has had on the …

An Embodied Drama Therapy Approach To Restorative School Practices: A Method, Sarah Harmer

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Restorative School Practices offer schools a circle structure to shift the punitive mindset and power dynamics commonly found in America’s schools, to a model that focuses on relationship, connection, and mutual respect. Drama therapy interventions utilize embodied or active work that engage the entire person. The purpose of this thesis was to create a method to explore the addition of embodied drama therapy techniques to deepen the experience of the restorative school circle process. Three community-building and social emotional learning focused circles, in a second, fourth, and sixth grade class, were compared using the traditional scripts and then the same …

Body-Based Activism And Embodied Protest Art, Community Engagement Project With Karen And Karenni Young Adults, Ivy I. Kuhn

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper explores body-based activism and embodied protest art as a means to connect to others and participate in social activism. It serves to identify embodied and body-based practices that allow individuals to settle in their bodies to be present and in connection with others in order to feel empowered and motivated to sustain social activist movements. The author further identifies how community arts-based projects help give voice to marginalized, refugee communities that can often feel isolated or voiceless in their displacement. The author engaged in a community engagement project with a group of Karen and Karenni young adults to …

The Need For School-Based Trauma-Informed Drama Therapy Interventions: A Literature Review, Nicole Ventura

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this capstone thesis, the author explores the availability and accessibility of school-based trauma-informed drama therapy interventions as a means to address the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). A significant amount of research exploring the impact of ACEs is focused on the long-term negative effects they have on adults, reflecting back on how the adverse childhood experiences impacted their continued development (Brown et al., 2009; Chapman et al., 2004). However, less attention has been paid to the impact of such experiences on children during their childhood. Rather than waiting for ACEs to turn into lifelong physical and mental health …

Queer Embodiment And Semiotics: Reclamation In Lgbtq+ Adult Community By Designing And Wearing Temporary Tattoos, Sara Bonnick

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper presents a new approach that centers on supporting and bringing forth the embodied narratives of LGBTQ+ adults through designing and wearing temporary tattoos. The researcher synthesizes literature in regards to notable historical symbols of queer visibility, tattooing as a social work adjacent practice, and previous interventions that have been conducted with the LGBTQ+ community. The researcher also provides a focus on how temporary tattoos have been utilized in past expressive art therapy methods. The majority of preexisting research within the intersections of queerness, tattoos, and art therapy techniques are often rooted in themes related to self-perception, community connection, …

Dmt And Dissociation: Opening The Window Of Tolerance To Embodiment; Development Of A Method, Erin Wilmanns

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dissociative symptoms show in many different types of diagnoses, and dance/movement therapists have the skill set to introduce embodiment as a distress tolerance and regulatory skill. The current literature regarding effective dance/movement therapy as a tool for working with dissociative symptoms does not include the intersection of those that hold a queer identity. Inclusion of dissociative symptoms with trans* (any person who is not cisgender) identity allows for empowerment of recovery. The discussed development of a method is designed to contribute to the strengths and limitations dance/movement therapy holds in relation to dissociative symptoms, specifically working within the window of …

In And Through The Body: The Benefits Of Dance/Movement Therapy On The Mental Health Of Lgbtqia+ Adults; A Literature Review, Maria Napoli

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The benefits of dance/movement therapy on the mental health of LGBTQIA+ adults is a topic that is widely underexplored. It is one that is of utmost importance due to the body-based nature of LGBTQIA+ experiences. This literature review will further elaborate on the complexities of LGBTQIA+ identities and the incredible impacts that dance/movement therapy has on a body-level. Throughout the research, it was discovered and emphasized that movement as a healing practice can bring a sense of comfort and allow for expression for those a part of this marginalized community. Diving deep into the understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community and …

The Care And Keeping Of Therapeutic Connection In Telehealth: An Embodied Inquiry, Caitlyn Gilmore

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This qualitative embodied artistic inquiry self-study, developed through my perspective as an emerging dance and movement therapist, explored the effects of using telehealth for therapy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The available literature discussed throughout this capstone thesis suggest that the adaptations made to therapy as a result of the pandemic affected the practices associated with dance and movement therapy’s theoretical principles of embodiment, attunement, and somatic countertransference. Because of the unknowns of COVID 19, research on mitigating the negative aspects of telehealth is still emerging, thus increasing my anxiety as an emerging professional. In order to address the anxiety …

Healing Expressions: A Dance/Movement And Yoga Therapy Method For Emotional Sobriety, Cathryn Kruger

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Substance use disorder (SUD) affects 1 in 12 Americans aged 12 or older and brings with it devastating consequences to the individual, their family, and society as a whole (SAMHSA, 2016). Considered a chronic disease, over 85% of individuals in recovery from SUD relapse within their first year of sobriety (Sinha, 2011). Poor emotional regulation and stress tolerance are noted among the highest predictors of relapse (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020; Sinha, 2011). It is essential that these skills, termed “emotional sobriety”, be an integral element in the treatment process for those suffering from substance use disorder. This study …

Mind-Body Trauma And Interoception: Reintegrating Into The Body Through Dance/Movement Therapy, Elisha Lloyd

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review will provide an argument for the integration of dance/movement therapy (DMT) into neuropsychological spaces for the treatment of trauma, dysregulation, and mental health challenges. Reflecting on the United States of America’s dualistic foundation of body and mind in both medical and psychological spaces, I will build an understanding of the nervous system’s bidirectionality and its implications. Neurobiological research has shown that we can gain as much understanding of ourselves from our bodies as we can from our brains; they are interconnected. The theories provided will show that the path to trauma resolution and healing must incorporate a …

What’S Emergent? A Literature Review Of Thirdness And The Guide In Drama Therapy, Kathleen D. Moye

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis engages two concepts in conversation: thirdness, which is a quality, awareness, or point of reference between two people in a relationship (Benjamin, 2004), developed within relational and intersubjective systems theories; and drama therapy’s guide from Landy’s role theory, a role in a story that emerges between two other roles and brings balance, perspective, and growth (Landy, 2008, 2009). Both are referenced as essential components of the therapeutic relationship. This thesis is a review of the literature on relational, intersubjective systems, and role theories, focusing on how theorists conceptualize the way a person interacts in relationship to others, the …

Utilizing Expressive Art And Dance/Movement Therapies As An Embodied Practice To Inform Childbirth, Kayla Johnson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

An eight-week curriculum developed by this researcher was implemented with a group of women in the Spring of 2018. The goal was to provide evidence, create resources, and demonstrate the effectiveness of Expressive Art Therapy and Dance Movement Therapy as an embodied practice to create connection, promote self-expression, empathy, embodied awareness, and healthy coping skills so that embodied childbirth seems obtainable and do-able. The shift away from embodied wisdom has moved women away from embracing their bodies and created risk in childbirth. In the United States of America, the maternal mortality rate is on the rise, which is unusual for …

Subverting The Narrative: Addressing Gaps In The Medical Model Of Mental Health Through Expressive Arts And Critical Race Feminism Paradigms, Sofiya Kostareva

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper discusses the problematic theoretical underpinnings of the medical model of mental health, first examining the historical development of the mental health field. Reviewing literature on the paradigms of expressive arts therapy, critical race feminism, and the medical model of mental health, the author argues how systemic oppression in such forms as racism, classism and ableism contribute to the issues of mental health accessibility for individuals who possess historically marginalized identities in the United States. The paper concludes with a claim around expressive arts therapy’s capacity toward addressing the theoretical challenges in providing meaningful intersectional care toward diverse populations …

Drama Therapy With Queer Adults: Identity Reflection And Expression, Emily Lunardi

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There are people of every age, race, religion, ability, socioeconomic status, and area of the world that identify as part of the queer community, and drama therapists have the opportunity to address their specific needs. The current literature regarding effective drama therapy with queer people is limited. Affirming and identity-focused psychotherapy that allows queer people to relate to one another has been found to be beneficial for this population. The discussed development of a method is designed to contribute to an understanding of the strengths and limitations drama therapy, specifically projective techniques, narrative writing, narrative performance, and small group embodiment …

The Embodiment Of Attachment And Grief In Adolescents: A Literature Review, Kelsey Sawyer

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Previous research has indicated that the experience of grief can be embodied or experienced on a bodily level, just like the process of attachment during the formation of an attachment relationship. Therefore, when working with adolescents who have experienced the death of a parent/attachment figure, the body should be included in the therapeutic process. This literature review addresses the importance of the body within the development of attachment relationships, an adolescent’s grief process, and the therapeutic relationship through themes of attunement, kinesthetic empathy and awareness, and witnessing, all of which are elements of dance movement therapy. Research was conducted using …

Towards Healing Ambiguous Grief With Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy, Embodiment, And Mindfulness: A Literature Review, Emily Piper

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There is an emerging trend of nature-based expressive arts therapy with a developing body of research. The current literature indicates that there are numerous nature-based approaches and that they can be effectively applied to many populations. Some of the benefits of nature-based therapy are shifts in physiology such as lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and decrease in stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. The approaches of nature-based therapeutic work include mindfulness and meditation, animal-assisted therapies, farm and work-based therapies, horticulture therapy, and nature-based expressive arts therapy. There are many effective applications of these frameworks that have been studied and some that …

Dance/Movement Therapy As Influence On Sense Of Self: A Community Engagement Project, Jasmine Yahid

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This community engagement project seeks to explore the influence of dance/movement therapy and authentic movement techniques on one’s sense of self. This project focused on these techniques as an approach toward self-actualization and finding one’s essence. This study considered the potential implications of these practices on populations whose bodily experience can be perceived as a barrier toward self-actualization, such as in eating disorders and trauma. Six expressive therapy students from Lesley University participated in two sessions of dance/movement therapy. This included: a movement-exploration warm up, authentic movement, and a visual artistic representation of their perceived essence based on the experiential. …

An Exploration Of Whiteness, Resilience, And Dance/Movement Therapy, Sharon Elizabeth Quimbay Nolasco

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review is a thorough investigation on Whiteness, specifically how it is defined within society, embodiment and how to utilize Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT), resilience and how it affects people of color. It will address how Whiteness is a vast and highly researched topic, and this paper aims to build the ground for future work both within counseling professions and Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT). The entirety of this paper discusses whiteness and how it affects various aspects of an individual’s life, as well as the resiliency demonstrated by those who rise up beyond their experienced oppression. When defining Whiteness, careful consideration …