Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Art Therapy And Its Impact Upon Marital Communication With Geriatric Adults Suffering From Dementia And Their Spousal Caregivers: An Exploratory Review And Research Study, Ashlyn G. Kubacak

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

The World Health Organization estimated that 47.5 million people across the globe were living with dementia in 2015, and this number is expected to increase and eventually double by 2030. The cost of caregiving for someone who has dementia is substantial, with estimated federal costs fluctuating between 157 billion and 215 billion dollars annually. Sixty percent of caregivers rate the emotional strain of caregiving to be “high to extremely high”, and 40% of caregivers are diagnosed with depression. It is therefore important to provide support not only for those persons with dementia, but also for their caregivers in order to …

Capturing Success At Autistry Studios: A Qualitative Study, Ali Ives, Vince Colombano, Joey Bava

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This qualitative study examined the perceived outcomes of participation at Autistry Studios among young adult students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autistry Studios is a unique program offering services to individuals with ASD similar to that of a pre-vocational training program. The mission of Autistry Studios is to help students with ASD become independent adults by engaging in “project-based therapy.” A setting is provided where individuals with ASD can achieve personal and functional growth with the use of creative resources like art supplies, raw materials, and power tools to pursue and complete a project that is client-centered. The purpose of …

Understanding The Roles And Uses Of Art Making In Art Therapy, Mary Ellen Hluska

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study looked at the role of art making in art therapy, specifically how art therapists value, understand, use, and make decisions regarding art in personal practice and in professional practice. The art-making aspect of art therapy is understudied considering it is art that differentiates art therapists from other helping professions that use art in practice. Additionally, the study sought to illuminate how art making informs both the artist and art therapist identities of professional clinicians. A mixed-methods design was employed to gather data based on inductive and deductive study methods. Constructivist philosophy provided a process for generating ideas and …

Touch Painting: An Art Therapy Intervention On Anxiety In Older Adults, Carrie May Ezell

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study investigated the use of two art therapy painting interventions with anxious older adults in long-term care or assisted living facilities in the Southeast. The control group used ‘traditional painting’ as defined by using a paintbrush and the intervention group used ‘touch painting’ as defined by using a foam core board with tissue paper. All participants in the study (n=44) were identified as having symptoms of anxiety as determined by their facility staff. Participants completed the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) as a pre-test and post-test assessment. Both groups attended four art therapy sessions with the following themes: (1) Free …

The Art Museum As A Therapeutic Space, Sarah Hamil

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explores the essential qualities of the multiple perspectives informing the practice of art therapy in the museum context. Museum-based art therapy is defined as art therapy provided in partnership with museums as part of strategic efforts to engage in community practice. The study focuses on obtaining in-depth information through audio-recorded interviews with seven expert practitioners with direct knowledge and experience in the therapeutic use of art in museums that welcome community engagement. The interview contents were interpreted by identifying salient passages and important points emphasized in participant responses as an exploration into new perspectives regarding the use of …

Art Therapy And Cancer Care: A Qualitative Analysis Of Visual Oncology Narratives, Jill Mcnutt

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This document reviews the artworks created in the form of visual narratives of cancer survivors. The work sought to explore the subjective experience of cancer and explore potential functions of art therapy in oncology care. Previous research found stages of the cancer trajectory and psychosocial benefits of art therapy. Fifteen adult cancer survivors created visual narratives and participated in this qualitative inquiry. The research was action-based and used arts based and qualitative methodologies. Eight themes emerged and reflected stages of the cancer experience and corresponding functions of art therapy participation. The themes included: diagnosis and the onset of the cancer …

An Evaluation Of A Developmental Individualized Relationship (Dir®) And Creative Arts Therapies Program For Children With Autism, Faith Thayer

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study evaluated a Developmental Individual Differences Relationship-based (DIR®) creative arts therapy (CAT) program for children with ASD. The study was intended to assess whether the program met its stated goals to stimulate individualized social-emotional growth for children with ASD. The study was motivated by a central research question: Do DIR®-based creative arts therapies promote the social-emotional growth of children with ASD? A summative, longitudinal program evaluation research design was used to examine the program’s fidelity and outcomes. The evaluation included assessments for pre- and post-test quantitative standardized measures for data collection and analysis. The study also collected data from …

Embodied Creative Arts Therapy Interventions With Trauma: A Qualitative Study, Brian Timothy Harris

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

With the primary purpose to extend therapists’ knowledge base, open dialogue on treatment efficacy, and stimulate creative yet effective interventions, this two-phase qualitative study pursued the guiding research question, How do creative arts therapists use embodied interventions in the treatment of psychological trauma? Phase One of the study was conducted with music therapists who had extensive experience with trauma and reported on their experiences with and awareness of embodied trauma treatment through a broad spectrum of creative modalities. Phase Two was grounded in theories of body awareness and creative arts therapy applications and included therapists specializing in music, dance/movement, art, …

Adlerian Psychotherapists' Perspectives Of Using Psychodrama In The Treatment Of Neurotic Clients, Anabella Shaked

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore Adlerian psychotherapists’ perspectives on using psychodrama in the treatment of neurotic clients, its therapeutic value, and the training requirements to implement a psychodramatic intervention. The study explored whether and how the use of psychodrama affected therapists, clients, and the therapeutic process. Forty-five Adlerian psychotherapists attended a single psychodrama workshop designed to train them to implement a psychodramatic intervention previously used in a pilot study. Following the workshop, 21 participants implemented the psychodramatic intervention with 42 clients previously assessed as neurotic. Following the workshop and implementation of the psychodramatic intervention, participants completed a …

Art Therapy Using Possible Selves And Digital Media For Individuals With Alcohol Addiction In Korea, Sojung Park

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The primary purposes of this mixed methods study were to (a) examine whether using an art therapy intervention based on the theory of possible selves enhanced the motivation for change among individuals with alcohol addiction in Korea, and (b) to explore the study participants’ lived experiences of the self as it emerged from the specific art therapy intervention. This study consisted of three distinct theoretical frameworks: the transtheoretical model (TTM); the theory of possible selves; and art therapy—which bridged the two aforementioned theories. A total of seven participants completed five individual sessions each, creating a series of possible future selves …

Developing A Dance/Movement Therapy Approach To Qualitatively Analyzing Interview Data, Tomoyo Kawano

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a model for an embodied-artistic approach to analyzing interview data that could contribute to an enhanced narrative account and/or offer an alternate perspective. A new model was formulated by adapting and/or critically applying a combination of previously developed analytical frameworks. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) skills that encompass ways of listening through an embodied, empathic, aesthetic manner; and a movement observation and assessment tool, Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) were at the core of this explicatory process. The researcher’s movement preferences were identified in the preparatory phase with a certified movement analyst (CMA) as a …

The Effect Of Personal Portrait Photographs On Cultural Attitude Among Jewish And Arabic Expressive/Art Therapists In Israel, Varda Serok-Jeppa

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to offer young expressive therapists in Israel, a country with a complex cultural narrative, a tool that might enhance ethno-cultural empathy competencies. The research question was: What is the effect of Personal Portrait Photographs on cultural attitude among Jewish and Arabic expressive/art therapists in Israel? A qualitative arts based study based in constructivist empirical phenomenology was executed collecting data via photo elicitation, through use of portrait photographs of faces of women wearing three religious head dresses: Jewish, Muslim and Christian. The photographs were revised to portray participants’ faces in the portrait photo. Participants were …

Art Therapy And Evidence-Based Practice: An Exploration Of Interactions, Michael G. Bauer, Chauney Peck, Aubrey Studebaker, Naomi Yu

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes and beliefs of art therapists towards Evidence-Based Practices (EBP). EBP is a rising trend in healthcare that refers to the process of using empirically validated research to make clinical decisions that best meet the needs of each client (Patterson, Miller, Carnes & Wilson, 2004).The investigators used a mixed methods approach to the research topic. Part A consists of a survey distributed to graduates of the Department of Marital and Family Therapy (MFT) at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). In addition to answering questions, survey participants were asked to create an art …

Expanding The Theoretical Lenses Of Addiction Treatment Through Art Therapy Practice, Lily F. Braverman

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the connection and interaction between literature describing addiction theory and clinical art therapy practice. Literature spanning a wide variety of theoretical understandings of addiction and recovery was reviewed, as well as literature published on the use of art therapy with the substance abuse population. Using the review of the substance abuse literature as a base, key theoretical concepts were identified and formatted into a table that came to serve as a data coding system. Applying case study methodology, this coding system was then utilized as an analysis tool for the art therapy process and artwork of four …

Art Therapy Considerations With Transgender Individuals, Bryan A. Schnebelt

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study examines the use of art therapy as a treatment modality with transgender individuals, as well as provides a brief background into transgender identity, in order to recognize considerations for enhanced care of this population. A semi-structured interview approach was applied with art therapists who have utilized art therapy with transgender clients. This study focuses on areas of identity development, aspects of trauma and transphobia and their effects, treatment approaches, and cultural components to working with transgender individuals. Through this research, a recognition of transgender identity as its own cultural entity was found to be important in …

An Arts Based Exploration Of Immigration And Acculturation Through The Lenses Of First, Second And Third Generation Clinical Art Therapists, Elizabeth Barraza, Christina Sanchez, Carmen Solis

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the impact of acculturation and immigration through the lived experience of first, second, and third generation Hispanic/Latina clinical art therapists. The objectives include the exploration of cultural identity, processing the immigration experience and the role of art therapy. Topics that emerge in the general literature include development of identity, depression, and immigration-related stressors. Although the art therapy literature is limited within the context of immigration and acculturation, information regarding the role of the art, common imagery in groups, and the importance of cultural awareness is available. An arts-based approach is used in the clinical work to help …

The Role Of Art Making In The Recovery From A Physical Disability Due To Trauma, Erika Y. Schreefel

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study presents an examination of the role that art making fulfills in the recovery efforts following the development of a physical disability due to a trauma. Preexisting literature informed the current study on art making’s ability to manage psychological and physical stressors that can accompany the development of a physical disability due to a trauma experience. The current study utilized a focus group to gain a better understanding of art making’s benefits by obtaining firsthand accounts from individuals with experience incorporating art making in their own recovery process. Data collected during the focus group suggests that the …

A Heuristic Study Of A Wounded Healer, Samantha Mcmullen

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Art therapy and narrative therapy techniques are both used separately in treating sexual abuse, however they are not often used together. This heuristic study explores the experience of a wounded healer when using art within a narrative therapy process, specifically storytelling, to support healing from multigenerational incestuous abuse. This researcher used a science fiction story she is currently writing, to stimulate 8 reflections on the parallels in that story and in her personal trauma narrative, and then made adjoining art pieces about the reflections. The data was analyzed to find themes, such as protection, anger and fear. The art helped …

Adolescents, Social Media, And The Use Of Self-Portraiture In Identity Formation, Sharee Nicole Allen

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a time of maturation, integration of selves, and, in the modern age, digital performance on social media. Conflicts in the identity vs. role confusion stage of Eriksonian development are addressed throughout this research, although the existing literature rarely connects them to online trends. A qualitative survey, sent to high school students, explores the tension between self-doubt and the desire to be seen. Responses indicate that teens who post on social media are attempting to make sense of their formative years via the reactions of this networked world. Certain participants show resistance to the phenomenon of the Selfie, implying …

How Are Therapeutic Professionals Interpreting Ethics In Practice With Migrant Clients?, Madeline A. Brenner

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

The research study aimed to understand the praxis of mental health professionals working with immigrant and refugee populations in relation to ethical guidelines and agency protocols. Through practice-led inquiry, seven mental health professionals were interviewed from differing therapeutic backgrounds and orientations; including Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Counseling, and Art Therapy. The researcher sought to identify how theory of therapeutic professionals differ, where professionals are engaging in culturally competent practice and what impact this has on the therapeutic relationship. Participants identified the key components of a positive therapeutic relationship include trust, cultural competency, approach, presence, as well as …

How Are Art Therapists Utilizing The Theory Of Meaning Making In Trauma Treatment?, Carrie C. Critser

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

This purpose of this research study was to explore if and how art therapists utilize the theory of meaning making in trauma treatment. A secondary aim was to investigate art therapist’s perspectives and application of the theory of posttraumatic growth. Semi-structured interviews were used to investigate how twelve art therapists conceptualized trauma treatment, meaning making and posttraumatic growth. Study participants were all female, located in a wide variety of mental health settings across the United States, with experience spanning four to 34 years. Major findings included that while nine out of twelve participants found meaning making was important to healing …

Piecing The Puzzle Together With The Use Of Physical Therapy, Mikayla Pruitt

Honors Projects

For my Honors Project I decided to create a set of exercise cards for children with autism. The front of each card had a picture symbolizing the exercise/activity, and on the back included directions, supplies and tips to complete the activity. The following is a selection of a few exercise cards from each of the four exercise sections, as well as the title card, table of contents cards, information cards, and source cards.

How Women Use Art And Art Therapy To Cope With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Exploration Of Published Literature, Diana C. Barnes

LMU Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exploring A Trainee's Response To Visiting Refugees In Jordan: A Bifocal Art Exploration, Daniela Marie Montañez

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This arts-based research investigated the personal responses of a trainee art therapist working with displaced refugees in Jordan. This inquiry is based on the belief that it is important for a new trainee to cultivate a broader appreciation of cross-cultural issues for both personal and professional applications. The art-based data, analyzed through Betensky's (1995) phenomenological approach, inspired a profound exploration of the refugee experience while simultaneously exploring the role and identity of the trainee. The author presented seven prominent themes that emerged from the refugee and trainee experiences: displacement, survival, connection, loss of control, safety, competence, and countertransference. Between both …

A Cross-Cultural Exploration Into Kinetic Family Drawings, Kathleen Deanna Baxter, Sharon Brooke Uy, Stella Mina Yun

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore cultural similarities and differences that could be found from analyzing the images of the Kinetic Family Drawing and their accompanying narratives. The current literature on the Kinetic Family Drawing as an assessment tool and the literature on the role of culture in psychotherapy were examined. The researchers have collected Kinetic Family Drawing images and narratives from groups of college students from the United States and groups of college students from two different areas in Mexico. Participants were asked to perform the Kinetic Family Drawing, title the drawing, write a brief narrative about …

Visual Voices Approved Consent Form, Collyn Baeder, Zoe Hull, Rebecca Masterjohn, Virginia Sedarski, Adrian Jung, Michaela A. Hoffman, Nicole O'Brien

Visual Voices: An Arts-Based Assessment of the Perceived Identity of Aging Maine Residents

Approved project consent form for UNE student project Visual Voices: An Arts-Based Assessment Of The Perceived Identity Of Aging Maine Residents, designed to investigate the topics of perception, identity, and aging.

Between February and May 2015, over the course of twelve sessions, the UNE team met with six female residents of the Park Danforth senior living community in Portland to have conversations and create art about how the residents perceive themselves in contrast to how they feel perceived by important people in their lives, such as friends, family, and healthcare providers.

This form documents the scope of the project …

Visual Voices Weekly Session Scripts, Collyn Baeder, Zoe Hull, Rebecca Masterjohn, Virginia Sedarski, Adrian Jung, Michaela A. Hoffman, Nicole O'Brien

Visual Voices: An Arts-Based Assessment of the Perceived Identity of Aging Maine Residents

Eleven weekly session scripts for UNE student project Visual Voices: An Arts-Based Assessment Of The Perceived Identity Of Aging Maine Residents. This project was designed to investigate the topics of perception, identity, and aging. Between February and May 2015, over the course of twelve sessions, the UNE team met with six female residents of the Park Danforth senior living community in Portland to have conversations and create art about how the residents perceive themselves in contrast to how they feel perceived by important people in their lives, such as friends, family, and healthcare providers.

Keeping The Peace: Playback Theatre With Adolescents, Timothy J. Reagan

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to understand the experience of a Playback Theatre (Playback) program for adolescents addressing themes of bullying perpetration and victimization. The guiding question for the study was: What was the phenomenological experience for homeless youth participating in Keep the Peace Leadership Program, a Playback program at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY? The sample consisted of 11 youth residing at the Coachman Family Center in White Plains, NY, 11 Manhattanville students, and four adults from Big Apple Playback Theatre in NY. Participants completed the forms of bullying scale (FBS) so the researcher could measure bullying climates …

Rocky Mountain Alba Emoting Training For Creative Arts Therapists, Brant P. Wadsworth

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This dissertation research explored what experiences and influences Rocky Mountain Alba Emoting (RMAE) training generated for creative arts therapists in both their personal and professional lives. RMAE builds upon the effector patterns of Alba EmotingTM which uses innate physiological processes to induce, experience, and cease six genuine basic emotions. RMAE uses the process of learning these patterns as a means of enhancing emotional expression, awareness, and balance. With emotions and emotional regulation playing an increasing role in psychotherapy, a therapist’s emotional life and ability to work with emotions have become more important. RMAE shares some characteristics with the practices of …

Making Personal Public Service Announcements With Adopted Young Women From Foster Care: A Narrative Inquiry, Myriam Dominique Savage

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This narrative, arts-based inquiry explored the experiences of four adopted adolescent females (ages 16, 18) during and after making the Personal Public Service Announcement (PPSA), a 30-second, mock digital PSA, which allowed them to voice their expertise on lived experiences. I facilitated six sessions per participant, using narradrama (Dunne, 2009), a drama therapy method that contextualizes narrative therapy with action-based interventions. A digital, audio-visual application on an i-Pad was implemented, allowing participants to animate plaster self-masks, created from their faces into digital, recorded PPSAs. An invitational Witnessing Session provided supported closure during the PPSA screening for the participants who were …