Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How Expressive Arts Therapy Is Being Used To Treat Children With Developmental Trauma And Its Implications For Treating Community And Systemic Causes Of Developmental Trauma., Cheri Haire

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are circumstances that occur in a child’s life which are either long-lasting or have long-lasting effects due to their traumatic nature. Developmental trauma is a composite name for the effects of adverse childhood experiences on children. It has been found that, across racial groups, in locations with high poverty, children are more at-risk for scoring high (four or more) on the ACE questionnaire (Choi, Wang, & Jackson, 2019, p. 1). Treatment for developmental trauma begins with establishing a sense of safety in the child, but also within the family and the community. It is also …

Becoming: How Expressive Arts Nurture Self-Esteem, Identity And Empowerment, Development Of A Method, Nikah Chevalier-Amy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A vigorous art-centered curriculum was created and implemented amongst elementary students in a community-based program. The curriculum primarily involved step-dance incorporating movement and music therapy, while also including visual arts, music and aspects of drama therapy. These interventions were included to measure and test if the use of the arts within a community could help improve the participants self-esteem, confidence, sense of identity and empowerment as aspects of their becoming. The participants consisted of six elementary students (four girls and two boys), who were referred by their mentors to receive additional support surrounding their social-emotional development, self-advocacy, timidity, and …

Using Community Drama Therapy To Support Adults With Crohn's Disease And Ulcerative Colitis, Molly Weinberg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This master’s thesis explores a drama therapy community engagement project, conducted in February 2020, intended to serve a population of chronically ill adults. Specifically, it was implemented for those who have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a combined term for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, autoimmune diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s and colitis can cause debilitating symptoms; some of which include pain, frequent diarrhea, and vomiting, while also affecting other organs in the body (Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, 2014, p. 9). The chaos of having a chronic illness can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other …

Using Art As Therapy With Older Adults To Foster Connections And Establish Community Literature Review, Melissa Uva

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review advocates for the general needs of the growing aging population and focuses on how art as therapy programming can best support those needs. Arts programming, with an art therapy-inspired lens, can address the many needs of the older adult population and may promote meaningful connections between (1) the client and the art materials, (2) the client and self (both current and former), (3) the client and the facilitator/therapist, (4) the client and dyad or small groups and (5) the client and the community. The power of art therapy practices serves as the framework of this literature review, …

Mitigating Loss, Discrimination, And Acculturation: Supporting Long-Term Immigrants Through Dance/Movement Therapy, A Literature Review, Sabrina Mijares

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

With a growing population of immigrants and a rise in anti-immigration policies and sentiments that have longstanding mental health consequences, it is imperative that the field of dance/movement therapy meets the growing needs of long-term immigrants in the U.S. This literature review addressed the gap in dance/movement therapy research on the use of dance/movement therapy to support the post-migration, long-term mental health needs of immigrants residing in the U.S. Themes of loss, discrimination, and acculturation and identity as the prevailing long-term effects of the post-migration experience in the U.S. were explored. In addition, literature on multicultural and anti-oppressive uses of …

Collage Therapy With Elders: Group Socialization And Communication Beyond Words, Cassandra Knowles-True

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Dementia is a cognitive disease which impacts a person’s ability to verbally communicate and to emotionally socialize due to degeneration of the brain. Nonpharmacological approaches to dementia care have become more common as we look for more holistic approaches to caring for the entire person, and not just the brain functions and limitations. A new focus on the social and emotional needs of individuals with dementia has led to the use of expressive arts therapies, as therapeutic interventions in dementia care, in many nursing homes and senior centers. Collage therapy is particularly accessible, as an arts-based intervention, as the …