Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Labyrinth Meditation As A Foundation For Photography With Adolescents, Corrie Vanderbrug

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

This capstone thesis paper analyzes how the use of meditation, finger labyrinths, and photography intertwine to strengthen reflection for the adolescent population. To further this community engagement project, the researcher observed two male adolescents in in their work with meditation and photography. Results revealed that after the use of labyrinth meditation, participants felt calm and quiet. The photo-taking portion of this study was different than what they had previously experienced while taking images. Results also showed that meditation before photo-taking allowed for reflection, awareness, and personal empowerment to increase during the art making process. This study emphasizes the need …

An Evaluation Of Comprehensive Projects Used In An Expressive Arts Workshop For Cancer Patients And Survivors, Beta S. Abdolahi

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research project examines an array of art prompts and projects that have been used in program-based art making workshops to facilitate creative expression amongst those who have been impacted by a cancer diagnosis. The review of literature emphasizes the value of this research, as the field of healing arts programs/expressive arts workshops in cancer care is varied and sparse. While there is substantial research that indicates art therapy to be a highly valued and accepted clinical intervention used in cancer care, there is little research that focuses on the specific role of art making with cancer patients/survivors and even …

The Impacts Of Loyola Marymount’S Summer Arts Workshop From The Perspective Of The Adult Facilitators, Alexandria C. Loiseau

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at the Summer Arts Workshop (SAW) and its impacts on the adult facilitators that are involved in the workshop’s programming and implementation. The study seeks to gain an understanding of how the workshop could be improved in order to strengthen the workshop so that its adolescent participants could continue to benefit from attending it. The research question is: What are the impacts of a therapeutically informed summer arts workshop/camp with adolescents according to participants? Strengths? Space for improvements? This study is a qualitative approach utilizing a semi-structured interview. The analysis of the data from the four interviews …

Effectiveness Of Digital Response Art, Anya Kavanaugh

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at the effectiveness of digital media to create response art and deepen attunement with adolescent clients as well as develop self-awareness in the therapist. An arts- based qualitative heuristic self-study was used to analyze data gathered over a six-week period. The subject was the researcher/therapist and the data was gathered during the second-year practicum while working with adolescents at a non-public school. Data was gathered through a process of creating two post-session response artworks using video, animation, or digital drawing and a written reflection for each artwork. Nine artworks and eight written reflections were created in total. …

Evaluating The Use Of Narrative Therapy And Art Therapy Among Women Who Have Experienced The Trauma Of Domestic Violence, Cindy G. Bryant

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research study is aimed at evaluating the artwork created by a woman who has experienced the trauma of domestic violence. A qualitative research approach was used to capture the phenomenological outcomes in the art created during art therapy sessions using the theoretical lens of narrative therapy to analyze the art. For this study the subject was a young woman from Central America who had come into therapy per court mandate to address the issues of domestic violence at a community-based mental health center where the researcher was conducting her second- year practicum. The data (art) was gathered after each …

Cultural Humility Art-Based Training In The Helping Professions, Tara Al-Taan, Silvia Figueroa, Elizabeth Park, Beverly Pascua, Sachi Sosna, Serap Spaltro, Allison Sweeney

LMU Theses and Dissertations

There has been a lack of training and implementation of cultural humility in the helping professions. Clinician’s awareness of their own biases, assumptions, and cultural identities is critical when working with individuals who each have their own array of cultural identities. The following research examined the efficacy of cultural humility art-based training courses through surveys and examining the art experiential activity that was provided. The purpose of this research was to determine whether cultural humility art-based training would effectively increase mental health practitioners’ comfort, ability, and confidence in addressing culturally sensitive issues in their clinical work. The training focused on …

Hands To Heart: Art Therapy And Voices Of Cancer, Andrea Verano, Reina A. Bicciche

LMU Theses and Dissertations

As second-year graduate students from LMU’s Art Therapy program, we are excited to introduce the focus of our Master’s research project, a concept we coined as exhibition as intervention. Our goal is to create a space that brings awareness to the possibilities of exhibition to amplify the voice and increase empathy between artist and viewer. Originally, our vision was to hold the exhibition at Cedars-Sinai to supplement the 2020 Art Therapy Research Symposium. With COVID-19 placing restrictions on public gatherings, the exhibition had to transform from a physical experience to a virtual one. The catalog which began as our secondary …

Participatory Art And Aging: Proposal For Dementia Prevention Strategy, Colette Brown

Augsburg Honors Review

As the population age increases, and Alzheimer's disease death rates increase, the need for dementia prevention therapies grows in relevance and necessity. A cooperative model for teaching Conceptual art to older adults is proposed as a dementia prevention strategy. Preventive benefits of the proposed strategy are preliminarily suggested to improve: l) cognitive reserve (CR), where a strong CR has been associated with longer lasting functionality in dementia patients; 2) cognitive lifestyle, a behavioral measure of CR; and 3) neuroplasticity, with promoting neuroplasticity being the goal of many non-pharmacological dementia prevention studies. Texts on art therapy, Conceptual art, social practice, neuroplasticity, …

A Systematic Review: Effectiveness Of Complementary Therapies On Mental Status Of Pediatric Oncology Patients, Sara Fredricks, Jessica Lloyd, Whitney Wendling

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Children with cancer frequently suffer from depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, and psychological stresses related to knowledge of potential risks, associated treatments, and the illness itself. These psychological problems can cause many additional physiological problems for these already chronically ill patients and may be detrimental to their overall health. The purpose of this systematic review is to review and critically appraise the evidence to determine if the use of Complementary and Alternative Methods (CAM), along with standardized care, affects mental health outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. Twenty-one primary source publications between 2013 and 2019 were analyzed for this systematic review. …

Art Making To Inform Dialogue Across Spiritual Otherness In The Therapeutic Space, Caitlin Brosious, Emma Burgin, Andrea Dyer, Maggie Knobbe

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research was a preliminary pilot study meant to encourage further exploration on the intersection of art therapy, art making, spirituality, and dialogue. This study topic is an important area of investigation due to the long-standing challenges of interfaith dialogue, both historically and currently. An abundance of reviewed literature linking interfaith dialogue and dialogue through art making guided the research hypothesis, which states that the act of viewing and being viewed by the spiritual other through art making could deepen one’s own spiritual practice, increase empathy, foster dialogue, and inform clinical work as psychotherapists. To explore this, the researchers held …

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 …

Art Therapy And Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: A Workbook, Jasmine S. Griswold

University Honors Theses

Looking into the ways in which we treat anxiety and depression in both clinical and casual settings it seemed apparent that there are similar tools being utilized to alleviate the effects, but there didn’t seem to be a cohesion of these tools. With Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) a mindfulness based approach to therapy and the use of art as a tool to create dialogue in Art Therapy (AT) it seemed appropriate to combine the modalities to create a workbook that could be used on one's own or in conjunction with a therapist.

Combining Efforts: Libraries As Mental Health Safe Spaces, Sabrina Thomas, Kacy J. Lovelace

Librarian Research

In the face of seemingly insurmountable, persisting problems, what is one thing that you could do to lift that burden in your own space, in your own building, or on your own walls? This defining question led to the creation of Marshall University (MU) Libraries Mental Health Initiative. The initiative began with an art exhibition titled: “Don’t Call Me Crazy: Resiliency through Art.” The goal of this exhibition was to encourage students, faculty, and staff to create artwork informed by mental health or to help process their own mental health. With more than 30 artists and 50 pieces filling the …

Promoting Resilience In Economically Disadvantaged Adolescents Through School-Based Expressive Arts Groups, Bailey Knox

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Since 2013, the majority of students served by the public school system in the United States have been considered “low-income” by the federal government. The stressors associated with low socioeconomic status significantly increase risk for social, emotional and behavioral challenges at all age levels, but can be particularly damaging to adolescents coping with heightened stress levels related to the intense multi-dimensional changes that define this developmental period. As the correlation between economic disadvantage and negative socio-emotional and academic outcomes is increasingly evidenced, schools have begun to recognize their responsibility for providing preventative mental health care to high-risk students. Over the …

The Study Of Neurological Response In Art Therapy And Trauma: A Literature Review, Kristin Weber

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review will focus on neurological research and art therapy practice to consider benefits of the integration of science and the creative therapies. These topics will be addressed through a trauma informed theoretical lens, focusing on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury diagnoses in the US military veteran population. Arts-based, qualitative, and quantitative research were correlated within this review to discover links between neurology and art therapy’s unique impact on trauma, and the outcome of combining these practices. The conclusions found that, with limited research connecting these two fields, there is a possibility for enhanced trauma treatment through the …

Considering Art Therapy For Adults With Fear Of Cancer Recurrence (Fcr): A Literature Review, Max Roberts

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a major problem for many cancer survivors. As cancer treatments improve and more people are surviving cancer, FCR will likely become a larger problem in general for the healthcare system. Art therapists working with cancer survivors need to be prepared for addressing FCR as they are likely to encounter this clinical issue. A literature search was conducted and no research investigating art therapy specifically for FCR was found, indicating there is currently no empirically supported approach to art therapy for FCR. Mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies appear to be efficacious for reducing effects of FCR. …

Exploring The Usage Of Found Objects In Art Therapy For Bereavement: A Literature Review, Bridget Bogan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Bereavement is a multifaceted, evolving, and intensely individual experience. Moving away from a linear theoretical framework towards a constructivist theoretical model promotes the healing properties of self-narrative while incorporating the story of the loss of a loved one. Most important to bereaved individuals, as indicated by current research on the topics of death, grief, and bereavement are memory keeping, meaning making, and continued bonds with the deceased. These common themes have remained consistent since the Victorian age.

Traditional mourning jewelry represents a form of memorialization and continued bonds with the dead. Alternative forms of art using found objects belonging to …

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 …

Expressive Mindfulness: A Trauma-Sensitive Expressive Arts Therapy Group Method, Meghan Daly

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Mindfulness and expressive arts therapy are both supportive of directing attention in a manner that promotes integration and function of a person. In this paper, a trauma-sensitive method was created for use in a day treatment setting for adults with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). This method utilized expressive movement, visual art making with three different materials, and creative writing to encourage mindful, non-judgmental acceptance of the present moment; a sense of relaxation; and an overall increase in quality of life. During development of the method arts-based research informed the choice of materials, music, and structure of the group. …

A Laughing Matter: Transforming Trauma Through Therapeutic Humor And Expressive Arts Therapy, Alison M. Landoni

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Humor and trauma share two characteristics: they are both perspectival in nature and hold incongruity at their core, however, their impacts are profoundly different for the perceiver. As humor and laughter open one’s psyche and invite positive social exchanges, trauma produces more dissociative, dysregulated and dysfunctional interactions. While fundamental to interpersonal experiences, there has been limited research about the use of humor and laughter as essential tools within the mental health therapeutic alliance. Neurological research and case studies have shown that humor and laughter can have hormonal, physiological and psychological benefits. Due to the perspectival nature of humor and trauma, …

A Literature Review On Substance Related Grief And Expressive Art Therapy Support Groups, Holly N. St. Cyr

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In the year of 2017, 18.7 million Americans aged 18 years or older were reported to have a substance use disorder and the pervasiveness of substance related deaths escalated (McCance- Katz, 2017). Researchers have examined how grief experienced by substance users and their loved ones is often disenfranchised by social stigmatization, loss of support, and feelings of regret, blame, humiliation, and shame. According to Valentine, Bauld, and Walter, (2016) “bereavement following a drug or alcohol related death has been largely neglected in research and service provision, despite its global prevalence and potentially devastating consequences for those concerned,” (p. 283). Studies …

Experiences Of Single-Session Improvisational Group Music Therapy: Therapist And Patient Reflections From Inpatient Psychiatry, Yu-Ying Chen

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore therapists’ and patients’ experiences in order to draw a composite picture of single-session improvisational group music therapy. This phenomenological study included ten therapist participants and nine patient participants. Each participant engaged with a single-session group musical improvisation and verbal discussion in a pre-designed protocol. The data analysis was conducted in three stages. In the first analysis stage, participants’ verbal feedback and discussion were analyzed using Moustakas’s (1994) method, yielding key words with quotations. In the second stage, Moustakas’s (1994) method of analysis was also adapted for an analysis of the music, yielding …

Watering Black Roots: Exploring Black Ecological Identity Development Within Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy, Stormy Saint-Val

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Nature-based expressive arts therapy promotes the holistic healing and recovery of individuals by interweaving the practices of ecopsychology, ecotherapy, and expressive arts therapy. These interventions have been proven to mediate ranges of symptomologies, such as anxiety disorders and PTSD. Research conducted by the U.S. National Park Services indicates that African- Americans are less likely to have a positive relationship to nature than all other racial groups. The amplification of this report without introspection of its context perpetuates racialized generalizations. This can limit a black individual’s ability to embrace their ecological identity and be receptive of nature-based expressive arts therapy interventions. …

A People's History Of Art Therapy, Jessie Mccurdy, Alexandria Richardson, Kathaleena Thirtle

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The following research examined a survey on the identity and feelings of inclusion among alumni of Loyola Marymount University’s Marriage and Family Therapy with Specialization Training in Art Therapy graduate program. The survey found that a majority of the responding alumni did not feel their identities were represented in multiple aspects of the program, and there was a clear call to action for more representation of diversity. More research on the subject is needed to expand a variety of art therapy programs to better understand implications of art therapy pedagogy on identity, representation, and inclusivity within the art therapy community.

Qualitative Assessments Used In Art Therapy Programs With Cancer Patients In A Medical Settings, Melissa Garcia

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This document reviews qualitative assessments used to explore the impact on art therapy interventions with patients in cancer treatment. The study explored the use of qualitative assessment in evaluating patient perspective on receiving art therapy adjunctly with cancer treatment. In addition, the research aimed to determine if art therapy interventions are perceived as effective in helping cancer patients reduce stress, cope, improve quality of life, express emotions, and reduce cancer-related symptoms during and after cancer treatment through qualitative assessment. Approximately 300 cancer patient experiences were reviewed through surveying qualitative studies that explored the effects of art making in cancer treatment …

A Heuristic Exploration Of White Lesbian Identity And Cultural Humility Through Art Therapy, Jennifer Phelps

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In this heuristic exploration, data was collected through in vivo reflections using the cultural humility model. The researcher used art making, journaling, and a process of indwelling to collect data exploring the relationship between multiple identities and cultural humility. Through this exploration, four main themes emerged. These themes were explored in a final creative synthesis art process. This research serves as a starting point for developing a culturally humble stance as an art therapy trainee. In addition, this exploration highlights the way that art making can enhance the heuristic research experience by deepening the reflection and pulling out themes not …

The Experience Of Empathy Within Law Enforcement: An Art Exploration, Brianne Timmons, Isabella Williams

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Empathy within law enforcement has not been examined in the art therapy literature. This qualitative study provides insight into how empathy is perceived and experienced by retired law enforcement officers in San Diego, CA. Fourteen participants responded to a brief questionnaire, created an art piece and a written response about how empathy is experienced within law enforcement. The results illuminated common themes within the art and written responses including interactions, witnessing of a traumatic situation, intersection of roles within law enforcement, understanding of feelings, and communication. Future research in this area is recommended to also include current officers as well …

Visual Art Therapy, Attachment, And The Adoption Constellation: A Literature Review, Caitlin Woodstock

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The following literary review is intended to synthesize existing data pertaining to art therapy and its application within adoption informed therapy. The adoption experience will be explored, and the basic tenants of trauma and attachment will be outlined. Current modes of trauma-informed therapy will be introduced and their compatibility with art therapy will be explored. The author will introduce a variety of art therapy interventions as presented through an assortment of theoretical lenses. These applications will be subdivided into their application with individual constellation members, families, groups, and will extend to immigrants and displaced individuals likely to enter into the …

'Holy Seeing' From The Art Of The Saint John's Bible, Barbara Sutton

School of Theology and Seminary Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ethical Art Waste: Examining Resource Management In The Art Studio, Amanda Peavey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper highlights the lack of education about production and disposal of art materials within the field of art therapy. Failure to educate clinicians creates ethical problems when hazardous materials are used in sessions unknowingly. This paper is grounded in environmental studies and chemical management to supplement the art therapy field’s lack of research and commentary. The literature is dedicated to educating the reader about the hazardous nature of materials, issues surrounding regulations of chemicals involved in production, and consumerism in relation to waste processing. The research data was collected from a community engagement project: an educational presentation was offered …