Psychology Commons^™

The Benefits Of Art Therapy On Stress And Anxiety Of Oncology Patients During Treatment, Helen Shiepe

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Within the last ten years research on art therapy and its positive impact on oncology patients’ stress and anxiety during treatment has been minimal. Oncology patients whether they are children or adults when diagnosed experience similar reactions due to their diagnosis, treatment, and in some cases end of life care. The current question is whether or not art therapy does have a positive impact on decreasing the stress and anxiety with oncology patients while undergoing treatment. Deane, Fitch & Carmen (2000), discussed art therapy as a healing art that is “intended to integrate physical, emotional, and spiritual care by facilitating …

Applying Expressive Arts Therapy Interventions With Chinese Adolescents With Academic Maladjustment, Huaxin Wang

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis first explores the relationship between several concepts related to academic stress (academic burnout, academic weariness or school weariness, and school refusal) and their influencing factors, which are collectively referred to as academic maladjustment. It then reviews the empirical intervention research on academic maladjustment among Chinese adolescents. Study review has found that effective talk therapy interventions for Chinese adolescents with academic maladjustment often adopt a systematic perspective of family therapy and related techniques. Researchers worked with adolescents on their personal factors that contribute to academic maladjustment and work on the interpersonal level and obtained the cooperation of parents and …

Moving Through Loss: The Experience Of Ambiguous Loss With Hospitalized Children, The Development Of A Method, Peyton Edington

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The current method examined the effects of ambiguous loss with medical transplant patients in a pediatric hospital by utilizing a dance/movement therapy intervention. The development of this method was based on ambiguous loss theory with a dance/movement therapy approach. The explored literature identified central themes of ambiguous loss, such as resilience. These themes were connected to the practice of dance/movement therapy, such as embodiment. With this connection, the intervention was developed and implemented with participants. The central themes that emerged from the intervention were change, loss, meaning-making, and hope. One child and two adolescents were participants in this intervention, and …

Art And Eco Therapies: Benefits To Motor Development Of Preschool-Age Children In The Screen Era, Tatiana J. Miranda Orama

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In the highly technological society we currently live in, children are spending more time in front of screens instead of engaging in play or spending time in nature. Screen time has increased significantly in the past year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Excess screen time poses a threat to the motor development of preschool-age children. The fields of art therapy and ecotherapy have theoretical and practical groundings that make them an alternative to traditional therapies in the area of skill development and deficit prevention for children’s motor skills. This study focuses on the benefits that art therapy and ecotherapy can …

Combining Non-Traditional Therapeutic Competencies With Dance/Movement Therapy In Response To Client Reactivity: The Development Of A Method, Nicole Koontz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Individuals with reactive attachment disorder present as guarded towards therapeutic care and respond passively to treatment or become combative and aggressive. Previous body-based interventions for individuals with reactive attachment disorder included dangerous and unethical approaches that led to traumatization, distrust, and even death. Historical attachment therapies focused on making the client feel powerless and hopeless to accept care rather than practitioners adjusting to individualized client-centered care. A dance/movement therapy-informed method was developed to provide a nonthreatening therapeutic space to foster genuine participation for clients who present with reactivity towards treatment. The method was implemented over the course of seven weeks …

Effect Of Art Media On The Collective Mood Of A Middle School Art Therapy Group: A Development Of A Method, Jaime Isaak

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The art medium influences emotional expression and is a tool for change within the therapeutic art process. Research reveals physiological changes in participants’ heart rate and brain activity when working with art materials in response to the art medium’s resistive and fluid qualities. Art therapists can assess a person’s emotional presentation and decide which art media are psychologically appropriate for a person by observing changes in mood, emotions, and non-verbal language. A therapeutic game was played over three sessions with an art therapy group of adolescents, ages 11-14 years old, within a therapeutic middle school setting. Changes in the group’s …

Dance Movement Therapy For Clients With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Literature Review, Holly Inman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The overall focus of this thesis study is to take a closer look at how dance movement therapy could beneficially impact people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The literature reviewed focuses on the history of dance movement therapy along with several methods of the therapeutic practice, the beginning stages of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder re- search as well as the current treatment methods, and the current work being done with dance movement therapy and clients with this diagnosis. Many of the symptoms considered within this diagnosis are supported by the structure of dance movement therapy, serving as a beneficial …

Education In Emotional Intelligence: An Arts Therapies Based Method, Tatiana Nya Ford

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

By age 11, children are expected to have developed healthy, appropriate, and controlled emotional and social literacy. They should have learned basic social norms, the ability to regulate their emotions, and a strong sense of empathy. These lessons in emotional intelligence prepare children for the roles they will play in adolescence and adulthood. Unfortunately, due to the shift in social interactions from in-person to virtual, children’s emotional intelligence might be at a risk of decline. Fortunately, studies support that the expressive arts therapies can improve interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and behaviors. This thesis aims to develop and implement a method …

Exploring Tactile Art-Making With Deafblind Students And Their Families: An Opportunity For Creative Play, Alice Rodgers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The impact of a deafblind diagnosis on an individual’s mental health and the well-being of the family involved can be profound. However, current research and available literature for the mental health treatment and therapy practices of deafblind persons and their families is limited (Kyzar et al., 2016; “WFDB Global Report 2018,” n.d.). This thesis used the Leeds Family Psychology and Therapy Service principles (Leeds FPTS) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum with established deafblind teaching strategies to facilitate an original arts-based community project entitled: “Things We Like.” This project provided an opportunity for deafblind students (ages three to 22) and their …

Fostering Attachment In Romantic Relationships Through Creative Art Therapies, Mary Hachey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Attachment theory examines the infant/caregiver’s relationship by the attachment style they develop in the first years of life. Over time, these same attachment styles affect adult romantic relationships. Bowlby defines four infant/children attachment styles as securely attached, anxious-ambivalent-insecurely attached, avoidant-insecurely attached, and disorganized-disoriented-insecurely attached. These four styles transferred into three main types for adults: secure, anxious-ambivalent, and avoidant. A couple’s relationship can become affected by personal values, behaviors, environmental situations, attachment styles, and beyond. This literature review discusses how couples behave, relate, and interact with one another based on their attachment styles and it also gives critical details on how …

Art Therapy In Public Education, Sophie Edelman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review explores the history of art therapy in education. By understanding the history it is clear that art therapy has always been a positive force for students. By learning from the successes and challenges in our history we are better able to plan for future programing and expansion of art therapy programs. Because art therapy was developed in part by educators, the history of art therapy itself is linked with the history of art therapy in schools. In today’s application of art therapy in education there are three models most typically used. The research discusses the strengths and …

Dance/Movement Therapy And Its Implications In A Studio-Based Dance Program: A Community Engagement Project, Akeila Sharp

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescent females often struggle with emotional regulation, developing relationships, and poor body image. Research indicates that taking dance classes or participating in dance movement therapy sessions can be an effective technique to improve in these areas. However, there is limited research on the use of both in one setting. Therefore, this capstone explored the impacts of dance on adolescent females and the implications of dance/movement therapy (DMT) in a studio-based dance program. The objective of this project was to examine how restructuring a dance class using DMT interventions could improve problem areas such as low self-esteem, lack of communication skills, …

Creative Therapies, Complex Childhood Trauma, And Neurological Improvement: How The Arts Can Enhance Neuroplasticity: A Literature Review, Kelseigh E. Garrett

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review examines the ways in which creative arts therapy can enhance neuroplasticity after experiencing chronic and severe trauma. Trauma that occurs in childhood can negatively impact neurotypical brain development. Trauma experienced in childhood often leads to dysregulation or deficits in attachment, executive functioning, memory, and emotion regulation. This review outlines and defines complex developmental trauma, neurotypical brain development and brain structure, neurological impacts of trauma, and examines the use of single creative arts modalities for therapeutic treatment. This literature review shares research on the creative therapies focusing on single modalities such as: dance/movement, music, drama, and art, and …

Student Wellbeing And Open Studio Process In The School Curriculum, Maria Kim

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study aimed to explore whether Open Studio Process (OSP) increased wellbeing of middle and high school students when facilitated by teachers as a part of the regular art curriculum. It was hypothesized that OSP might increase the sense of wellbeing among middle and high school students as well as facilitating teachers. The research was conducted as a mixed methods study in South Korea where students need preventative interventions for their wellbeing. The researcher trained eight teachers to facilitate OSP and five of them implemented it with their classes for seven sessions. Quantitative data (K-YSR; pre- and posttest) were collected …

Using Child-Centered Play Therapy As An Intervention To Reassess Adhd Diagnoses And Trauma In Children: A Literature Review, Bethany Gibbons

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Although it is difficult to assess, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent diagnosis that exists among children. A major factor that contributes to the complexity of this disorder is the parallel symptoms presented in other diagnoses. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children has been identified as being either comorbid with ADHD, or sharing similar symptoms, which can produce potential misdiagnosis and ultimately lead to ineffective or impertinent treatment. To better determine a child’s diagnosis and plan of treatment, an approach can be implemented to assist in distinguishing between the two disorders. Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) may serve as …

Using Ritual And Expressive Arts With Parentally Bereaved Children, Chelsy Bailly

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review discusses how Expressive Arts Therapy can be used to create and continue ritual to generate safety with parentally bereaved children. For the purpose of this literature review, children include individuals under the age of 18. Each section, expressive arts, ritual, and grief/bereavement, is broken down to include definitions and important information as it relates to children. Expressive Arts Therapy uses a variety of art forms as therapy and has varied applications with a wide variety of populations. Death is inevitable and with it comes grief. Grief, in this thesis, refers to the feeling felt by those who …

Connecting To The Self: Increasing Self-Awareness In Children With Asd, Development Of A Method, Madison Janke

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dance/movement therapy is a popular method utilized with the autism spectrum population due to its focus on increasing social skills, developing relationships, improving function, increasing positive body image, and expanding movement repertoire. The literature indicated that mirroring is the most common and most utilized DMT intervention for this population, but it provided minimal alternative dance/movement therapy interventions. The dance/movement therapy method implemented through this research attempted to provide an alternative to mirroring through the creation of a body outline. This method was developed through the theoretical framework of relational-cultural theory, emphasizing the impact that relationships can have on the shaping …

Deathucation: On Childhood Bereavement And Drama Therapy, Morgan Price

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review is on childhood bereavement and drama therapy. The author examines current theories of childhood bereavement, including the chronic sorrow model, the duel process coping model, the tasks of grieving, and a three-part model that looks at significant mitigating factors relating to the death of a loved one. Efficacy of bereavement interventions is discussed. An in-depth look the current literature shows what children need from bereavement interventions. The history of drama therapy and childhood bereavement is also discussed. This paper concludes with a discussion on themes that are identified in the research as being helpful to bereavement including …

Creative Arts-Based Parents Training Program For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jung Eun Park

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study evaluated the impact of the Creative Arts-based Parents’ Training (CAPT) program. The 6-week long, creative arts therapy-based program and its impact on parental stress and sense of competence for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was examined. Korean Parenting Stress Index Short-Form (K-PSI-SF) and Korean-Parenting Efficacy Test (K-PET) were used as quantitative measurements. Qualitative data were also collected for the experimental group (n = 17) using questionnaires, art journaling, and a 30 min focus group interview. The control group (n = 15) only participated in quantitative measurements. There was no difference in age between …

Puppet Creation: A Lost Art In Treating Child Trauma, Keely Anderson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Trauma does not discriminate between age, culture, or socioeconomic class; trauma can happen to anyone. Although we would like to think that children are exempt from these difficult experiences, unfortunately, that is not the case. The current extensive research about the effects that trauma has on children both emotionally and psychologically and how these effects can have long term consequences will be examined in this capstone thesis. The arts-based qualitative research within this thesis will explore the benefits of puppet creation as a way for children to externalize their traumatic stories and as a means to provide children with the …

Integrating Digital App Technologies Within Traditional Expressive Arts Therapy For Children And Adolescents, Sarah Storjohann

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In recent years, technology in the form of digital applications (apps) has emerged as a fundamental aspect of everyday life as well as a practical, convenient, and inexpensive tool for artistic self-expression, most notably amongst children and adolescents. Ninety-eight percent of U.S. households currently possess some form of mobile device (Rideout, 2017), with an estimated 95% of U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 owning a Smartphone (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). As digital natives, children and adolescents are more likely to identify with and connect to these arts-based methods. Clinician perspective concerning digital integration varies across a wide spectrum. Through a …

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 …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Tool To Improve Social Skills In Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review, Holly Berlandy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed by the presence of social communication and interaction deficits present in their day to day. The deficits present in this disorder appear within the first three years of life and lead to problems with connecting and interacting with other individuals including their own family members. As a result, children and adolescents with Autism spectrum disorder often experience negative self-image and lack the proper skills to interact with others. Autism spectrum disorder is becoming more commonly diagnosed and yet there remains a gap in interventions and treatment due to the individualized appearance …

Finding My Superpowers: Developing A Coping Skills Method Using Art Therapy As An Intervention For Children And Adolescents With Mood Disorders, Maria Williams

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Children begin developing types of coping skills as early as age two. Children and adolescents use both positive and negative coping skills each day in order to navigate life’s experiences. Negative coping skills that develop at a young age can affect the child or adolescent later in adulthood. The development of positive coping mechanisms will allow children to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. When it comes to children with mood disorders, natural skills for coping and resiliency may not come as easy. Children and adolescents experiencing acute mental health treatment in an inpatient facility often come in already in …

Digital Music Making: Developing A Method For Using Technology In Music Psychotherapy, Sangeetha Kavety

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The use of technology, specifically digital songwriting and music making, in the context of psychotherapy is a subject that is not yet as well researched or practiced in the field of music therapy. The majority of the existing literature acknowledges the assistive function that technology such as tablets, smartphones, and computers can play in treatment of populations with cognitive and motor difficulties. However, there is little regarding the use of technology as the main means of creating music, and even less in the context of treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in family settings. For this capstone project, …

The Effects Of Dance And Movement Therapy With Adolescents Who Have Experienced Trauma, A Literature Review, Katherine Anderson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

With the growing number of trauma-informed practices in the mental health field, it is necessary to look at what best practices should be implemented in treating adolescents who have experienced trauma, specifically from a body-based intervention, such as dance and movement therapy. In this literature review, articles are discussed that encompass the following topics: dance and movement therapy and trauma, general dance interventions for the adolescent population, empowerment models as a way to cope with trauma symptoms, and cultural considerations of treating adolescent females of color. The gaps in current research must be acknowledged, specifically dance and movement therapy interventions …

Forgotten Children & Bonds That Heal: The Critical Nature Of Attachment, August Ashbaker

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Human attachment is one of the most critical factors in proper neurological and physiological development. Attachment is built through the mutuality of emotional impact, as well as the regular reception of physical touch. Infants and children who have been deprived of these vital necessities through the lacking initiatives of their caregivers—through neglect—display visible signs of its physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impact. Research has found neglect to be the highest risk factor for permanent damage to brain development in comparison to other forms of complex trauma (i.e. chronic caregiver interpersonal trauma in childhood); it is also the most prevalent …

An Exploration Of The Experience Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Through Art, Adi Greenboim-Zimchoni

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study employed arts-based research with phenomenological, qualitative inquiry to understand and explore the perspectives of adults with learning disabilities and their sense of self and support in inclusive and special education classrooms in Israel during their school years. In this study, the researcher attempted to take Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) one step further by examining the participants’ feelings and relationships with the people in their daily lives during childhood. The researcher met with 12 participants ages 18-31 diagnosed with learning disabilities between third and eleventh grade. Participants created drawings illustrating how they felt about teachers, parents, friends and …

How Can The Attunement Needs Of Children With Disorganized Attachment Styles Be Supported Through Expressive Arts Therapy?, Jayne Paley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Treatment strategies for school age children with disorganized attachment are not well established. This population exhibits a range of difficulties in social relationships and self-regulation. Additionally, children with disorganized attachment generally rely on defense mechanisms and present with other comorbid conditions, adding to the complexity of treatment. This paper explores current research and theories about disorganized attachment and then, on the basis of evidence provided throughout this paper, proposes the concept of attunement needs in relation to working with children with disorganized attachment. The attunement needs described in this paper, derived from the literature, include safety/security, control/power, consistency, affective release, …

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 …