Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Spiritual-Soul Care: Art Sacralization, Active Imagination, And Eco Therapy, Andrea N. Miller

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This thesis reasons that spiritual-soul care is, at times, an ethically necessary dimension of mental health care for many individuals yet remains underdeveloped within the field. In response, this research aims to articulate a foundational, non-dogmatic “baseline” language that is simple and accessible, while remaining nuanced enough to capture the depth and essence of spiritual-soul care. This study proposes a culturally flexible approach for individuals who identify outside of traditional religious frameworks. This multidimensional model includes three domains—the self, spirit-soul, and the transpersonal levels—each contributing to wellbeing through developmental themes.

Using a qualitative design, 9 participants engaged in contemplation, Jungian …

Shadow Garments: Costume Creation For Integrating Alienated Parts Of The Self, Mega M. Galvin

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explores costume creation as a narrative-based intervention for integrating "shadow" parts, or aspects of the self that are repressed or alienated due to shame, trauma, or social pressure. Grounded in Jungian analytic psychology, narrative therapy, and expressive arts theory, the research addresses the limitations of traditional talk therapy in accessing somatic memory and proposes costume making as a pathway for externalization and re-authorship. Using a qualitative, participatory study inspired by Pat B. Allen’s Open Studio Process, four adult participants engaged in a three-session workshop to design, construct, and wear costumes representing their identified shadow aspects. Data was collected …

Restorative Environments And Therapeutic Artmaking: A Strengths-Based Art Gallery Workshop To Enhance Well-Being In Emerging Adults, Jeannine Case

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Emerging adults aged 18 to 29 face increased mental health risks yet encounter considerable barriers to traditional care, which highlights the need for accessible, preventive alternatives. This mixed-methods pilot study investigated whether an art gallery environment could serve as a supportive setting for a strengths-based, positive art therapy-informed wellness workshop aimed at promoting well-being for this population. Six participants between the ages of 20 and 27, all enrolled in post-secondary education, took part in this study. Five identified as female and one as male. Three participants (50%) identified as Hispanic/Latino, one as Asian, one as White, and one as Hispanic/Latino …

Transmutation Of Psychological Phenomena (Academic Burnout And Fomo) Into Cyanotype Art Creation, Zulfan Ali Mujtaba, Adi Kuntoro

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The pressure of hustle culture and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in the digital era have triggered an escalation of academic burnout among students, demanding alternative psychological recovery interventions beyond verbal clinical approaches. This research aims to explore the creation of alternative Cyanotype photography as a medium for catharsis and resistance against toxic productivity. Utilizing a Practice-Based Research methodology with an autoethnographic approach, data were extracted from the researcher's subjective experiences and transmuted into a visual artifact titled "Metamorfosis yang Lelah". The cultural studies approach and wabi-sabi aesthetics are specifically applied to analyze visual elements in the Prussian Blue …

Embodied Identity In Dementia: Art Therapy As A Pathway To Selfhood, Sarah E. Southwick

Expressive Therapies Theses

Older adults living with dementia have often been erroneously perceived as inhabiting a singular lived experience marked by degeneration in cognitive functioning and considerable losses in self-identity. There is substantial literature to suggest that multisensory stimulation and art therapy are well-positioned as conduits for self-expression. However, a gap exists related to artistic media and how they may be implemented and tailored for people with dementia. This capstone explores the paradigm of selfhood as a subjective essence of being that may be accessed through creative expression and sensory engagement. Arts-based directives were implemented through a person-centered expressive arts therapy framework. Two …

Conceptualizing Professional Identity Development In Art Therapy Supervision With Post-Graduate Art Therapists Who Are Pre-Licensed, Christine S. Atkinson

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explored how art therapy supervisors conceptualize professional identity development (PID) in supervision with postgraduate art therapists who were pre-licensed. There was limited empirical research on how art therapy supervisors understood and support PID within art therapy supervision, particularly during the transitional period between graduate training and professional licensure. This study addressed the research question: How do art therapy supervisors conceptualize PID in supervision with postgraduate art therapists who are pre-licensed?

Fourteen art therapy supervisors participated in the study (86% female; 14% non-binary), ranging in age from 25 to over 65 years old. All participants identified their race or …

Children’S Resilience After A Wildfire: Clinical Themes Of An Art Therapy-Based Curriculum, Rebecca Cuellar, Colter Engber, Gina Robinson, Chloe Seeger, Jenna Siteman, Charliemagne Tapia, Ethel Zafranco

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The present study explored the efficacy of an art therapy-based resilience curriculum for elementary school students in educational settings, whose communities have been impacted by the 2025 Eaton Canyon Wildfires. This art therapy-based curriculum aims to promote post-disaster recovery for early elementary students affected by wildfire-related stress by using a particular focus on traits of resilience. To measure the efficacy of this study, a mixed methods research approach was conducted to evaluate the curriculum’s impact in building resilience. The study uses early elementary student surveys using a Pre/post Emoji Survey, a modified Emoji Current Mood and Experience Scale (ECMES), teacher …

Art Therapy And A Strength-Based Approach For Working With Children With Emotional And Behavioral Challenges: A Qualitative, Arts-Based Study, James D. Wyld

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

            Children with emotional and behavioral challenges represent a vulnerable population that needs more attention and innovative forms of treatment. The behavior of these young people is often marked by impulsive behaviors and intense emotions in the process of getting their basic needs met. The current study explores how a combination of art therapy and a strength-based approach is beneficial and appropriate for children in a behavioral based therapeutic school. Progress was traced through one singular client in both group and individual settings over the course of 6 months. Interventions varied with the goals of increasing self-awareness, fostering autonomy, increasing …

Chit-Chat With Hats: Addressing Mental Health Decline Through Art Therapy And Community Engagement, Zoe G. Mendez-Sosa

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone addresses the prominent social issue of mental health decline in Central Pacific California driven by lack of support systems for individuals. In partnership with Health Advocacy Team Support (HATS), “Chit-Chat with HATS was developed as a peer to peer group with art therapy techniques to promote emotional resilience and community connection. The primary objective of the program was to provide individuals struggling with mental health with tools to help them manage their feelings and thoughts.

The program was structured with check-ins, mindfulness techniques, and opportunities of creative expression through art therapy techniques to help participants with processing complex …

Enhancing Self-Acceptance And Reducing Anxiety Through Tree Ring Self-Portraits In Art Therapy: A Mixed-Methods Study, Stacey Kamp

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed-methods dissertation examined the therapeutic potential of the Tree Ring Self-Portrait, a novel art therapy intervention designed to enhance self-acceptance and reduce anxiety through symbol-based, life-phase self-portraiture grounded in narrative meaning-making and image-based processing (White & Epston, 1990; Moon, 2010; Hinz, 2020). Adults who self-identified with anxiety-related concerns were recruited through community and clinical referral sources and completed a standardized three-session intervention involving reflective mapping of life phases, a watercolor-based concentric-ring self-portrait process, and a guided review of the completed artwork with semi-structured interviews. The final sample (n = 20; ages 22–74) included participants with varied engagement in psychotherapy …

Art As Medicine: Exploring The Intersection Of African Cultural Practices And Art Therapy To Examine Its Efficacy In Pain Management And Healing Among Black Women With Lupus, Kandace I. Simmons

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This thesis examined the intersection of chronic illness and systemic inequities faced by Black women living with lupus. These women often encountered unique challenges in managing their health and well-being, exacerbated by both the physical and sociocultural implications of the disease. Through a Black Feminist/Womanist theoretical lens, this research investigated the potential of art therapy to serve as a transformative instrument for pain management and healing when infused with culturally relevant practices. Employing a narrative approach and qualitative methodology, this study explored the lived experiences of African American women with lupus, incorporating their art and personal stories to inform the …

Wise Beyond Our Years: Menopause, Negative Body-Image, And Art As A Catalyst To Self-Acceptance, Nicole Lea

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This mixed methods study examined the impact of menopause on women’s body image and self-acceptance through an arts-based group intervention. Quantitative data was collected using the Body Image Self-Compassion Scale, and qualitative data was gathered through art-making, group discussion, and individual interviews. Participants were (n=5) menopausal women aged 46-52 from the Bay Area who reported negative body image related to menopause. The intervention consisted of four one-hour open studio workshops with a fifth meeting added in which participants created altered books while engaging in peer support and discussion. Descriptive statistics indicated an increase in mean body image self-compassion scores from …

Art Therapists' Experience Utilizing Virtual Reality’S Multibrush In Group Art Making With Young Adults., Lidice Cohen

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Young adults aged 20-35 experience disproportionately high rates of mental health conditions yet exhibit low treatment-seeking behaviors, creating a significant care gap. Digital interventions—particularly Virtual Reality (VR)—show promise for reaching this tech-savvy group. The primary research question explored art therapists' insights utilizing this modality, while a secondary aim examined whether creating VR response art (VRRA) enhanced understanding of the group process. Three credentialed art therapists and nine young adults participated, sharing insights via interviews after VR group sessions and VRRA creation. Thematic analysis revealed that adaptation to VR influenced group dynamics, self-expression through embodiment, collaboration, boundary management, sensory stimulation, and …

Art Therapy In Social Work Practice, Laura Gebur

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Art therapy is an emerging practice among mental health professionals looking for new ways to engage with their clients and encourage nonverbal communication. Creativity is a means of processing memories, improving relationships, and strengthening the mind-body connection across a variety of age groups and practice settings. The efficacy of art therapy has led to its integration into social work practice, benefitting a diverse range of client populations within the field. While a lack of macro-level research studies has prevented the implementation of standardized art therapy techniques in social work, clinical research trials have examined art therapy across several areas of …

Toward A Unified Neuroaesthetic Framework For Art-Based Interventions In Substance Use Recovery - A Review, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Art-based interventions have gained increasing recognition as complementary strategies for substance use disorder (SUD) recovery and prevention, yet the field remains fragmented across clinical art therapy, community-based programs, and expressive digital practices. This article advances a unified neuroaesthetic framework that integrates sensory regulation, narrative integration, and interpersonal synchronization as the core mechanisms of healing. Drawing on recent U.S.-based empirical studies (post-2020), the paper synthesizes evidence from multiple modalities, including visual arts, music therapy, dance/movement practices, and digital storytelling, each demonstrating measurable effects on craving reduction, stress regulation, identity reconstruction, and social connection. Neuroscientific insights are central: findings highlight how creative …

Using Natural Materials In Art Therapy To Address Accessibility And Well-Being In Low-Income Older Adults, Ahlyana J. Richardson

Expressive Therapies Theses

This study investigated the implementation of natural materials during the artmaking processes in an older adult art therapy group (eco-art therapy), and its effects on their well-being and the role of accessibility in their lives. An open-studio approach was applied to emphasize the artmaking process being driven by the participants independently, while also sharing a collaborative space and creating community with each other. There was an exception to this condition in this study, being that the participants were encouraged to ask for assistance in using unconventional materials in their artwork if they felt they needed it. The participants were older …

Icanfeel: A Digital Art Activity To Support Distress Detection In Adult Oncological Patients, Marie J. Deschamps

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Considered the 6th vital sign, distress, a combination of hopelessness, anxiety, fear, and depression, can impact patients’ quality of life, treatment adherence, and mortality. While screening is required in oncological centers, distress remains under-detected. This study examined the use of Icanfeel, a novel digital art-based tool, to complement traditional psychometric assessments such as Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), to support patients’ expressions of symptoms and distress detection. Hospitalized adult oncological patients (N = 22) engaged twice with Icanfeel and with an active control condition. At various time points during the protocol, patients self-reported symptom burden using ESAS, self-disclosure …

The Authentic Self In Mental Health Practitioners Through The Use Of Internal Family Systems And Character Card Creation In Art-Based Therapy, Tracy J. Evans

Expressive Therapies Theses

Mental health practitioners, or therapists, are complex beings who carry not only the trauma from their life experiences but are also presented with the undertaking of trauma stewardship for clients. This study explores how participating with clients fosters self-expression and promotes emotional regulation, while enhancing social interactions within myself. Combining the terminology from the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Model and the concept of collaged card creation from SoulCollage to create character cards, made with clients, that represent the various parts of the personality. This qualitative study on the intervention found that it provided a safe space for both clients and …

How Can Art Therapy Be Utilized To Support Emotional Communication For Autistic Individuals With An Alexithymic Profile?, Kathryn L. Cohen

Expressive Therapies Theses

The expressive nature of art therapy can aid those with communication and sensory processing differences. Art making allows for the individual to access and emote in a way that spoken language cannot. This literature review will investigate and explore the features of the processing differences related to autism, interoception and alexithymia. The findings from the research explore the effectiveness of utilizing art therapy as a method to expand emotional communication. There are many challenges pertaining to emotional regulation and communication for autistic individuals. Accessing mental health resources and service providers familiar with communication differences is another challenge for this population. …

Adolescent Identity And Belongingness: Using Arts-Based Participatory Action Research, Vivian Boyer, Kam Brooks, Emily Camp, Hannah Checkwicz-Grosberg, Jenna Newman, Renee O’Connor, Jacqueline Tardie

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the concepts of empathy and belonging through the collaborative creative arts process among high school-aged girls at an all-girls Catholic school in Los Angeles County, California. Employing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework, researchers and participants collaborated as co-researchers, founded on the principles of cross-cultural art therapy and in the hope of fostering youth advocacy. In partnership with the school community and institution, as well as supported by an Anti-Hate grant from The Jenesse Center, this study examines the intersectional identities of participants and how empathy and belonging can be affected through the art-making process. The project …

Utilizing Food As An Art Medium In Eating Disorders Treatment, Keren Blumenthal Yanir

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This research explored food as an art medium in an innovative art therapy intervention for adults with eating disorders (EDs) and what this nontraditional art material can evoke. Several interventions (e.g., food exposure, cooking, and some family-based therapy) incorporate food in ED treatment, but none use it as an art medium.

Six Israeli adults (one with bulimia nervosa, two with atypical anorexia, and three with anorexia nervosa) individually participated in three meetings, each with a 30-min experiential component and an interview. While wearing a GoPro camera, participants created spontaneous artwork using foods (e.g., vegetables, legumes, pasta, flour, candy). The researcher …

Arts In Medicine: Created To Heal, Gbemisola Johnson, Dusk Gosney, Jessica Klingensmith, Akil Augustus

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Study Comparing The Effects Of Physical And Digital Mandala Coloring On Anxiety In High School Students, Amy Bainton

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Through the frameworks of Solution-Focused School Counseling (SFSC) and art therapy, this quantitative research paper compared the potential effects of using a physical versus a digital mandala coloring page with high school students experiencing test anxiety before a final exam. Participants took part in one of two experimental tasks before taking their exam, where they either used colored pencils to color a preset mandala or used a cellphone-based website to color in a mandala digitally. Participants completed a brief pretest-posttest State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and answered an independent questionnaire to further understand their experience after artmaking. Data results were analyzed …

Altered Book Making With Siblings Of Adults With Schizophrenia: A Mixed Methods Approach, Anna-Marie M. Vargas

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects the entire family unit. Due to deinstitutionalization, families are often left to care for their loved ones the best they can without the structured support offered by long-term hospitalization. As parents age and become less able to care for adult children with schizophrenia, the task of ongoing support in various capacities falls to the next of kin, most often, to siblings. There is limited research on the experiences of siblings of adults with schizophrenia, and to date, there have not been any published studies with this population in the field of art …

Identity Formation In Adolescents Using Assemblage And Found Objects, Sahar Mozaffar

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore a gap in current research that reveals how art therapy, using assemblage with found objects, empowers adolescents to explore their identity by creating a personal narrative. Identity formation is a critical step in adolescence that involves the development of a coherent sense of self and identity (Erikson, 1968, as cited in Branje et al., 2021). For the adolescent to be successful in this stage, they must synthesize both their personal and social identities (Erikson, 1950, as cited in McLean & Syed, 2014). Using this understanding of adolescent identity, this study utilized a …

Parents With Low Mood And Their Child: Exploring The Effects Of Group Art Therapy, Allison M. Pierce-Gay

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This qualitative study examines the effects of group art therapy on postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms, specifically focusing on reducing isolation and improving parent–child attachment. The participants included two parents with self-reported low mood and one child (aged 2–2.5 years), and insights from eight multidisciplinary experts (clinicians, educators, and parents) were also gathered. Interventions included a somatic body scan, collage-making, and dyadic handprint painting. The results indicated reduced isolation (Likert scores improved from 3.5 to 4.75) and enhanced attachment through nonverbal co-creation; however, structural barriers (e.g., time poverty) limited sustained impact. Expert interviews identified seven themes, including grief, systemic isolation, and …

Death, End-Of-Life Doulas, And Art:
Exploring Connections Between Death Competency And Art Making, Jill K. Hoefgen

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Death in the United States is often viewed as a medical event rather than the natural course of life, which results in avoidance of planning for the inevitable. The emergence of Hospice in the 1970s, Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) laws in several states, and the positive death movement have demonstrated a shift in attitudes and priorities about death and dying. Since the early 2000s, end of life doulas (EOLDs) have emerged as practitioners who help people plan for and transition to death. Emotional and existential coping skills are components that emerge from death work, and these elements can be …

Emerging Trends In Cinema Education: A Bibliometric Analysis, Faturrahman Faturrahman, Wahyu Nanda Eka Saputra

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Cinema education has evolved significantly and become an effective medium in various fields, but comprehensive research analyzing its publication trends is still limited. This study uses a bibliometric analysis method with the PRISMA model to identify, select, and filter articles in Scopus-indexed journals from 1948 to 2024 (n= 650), with data analyzed using the VOSViewer application. The keywords used are cinema education, cinematherapy, film therapy, video therapy, cinema therapy, or video therapy. Results show a significant upward trend in publications on cinema education in the last decade, with a peak in the 2021-2023 period. The United States is the country …

The Neuroscience Of Mindfulness Based Art Therapy: A Literature Review, Elizabeth Strasser

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Art therapy and neuroscience are two fields which are currently growing and expanding with the development of new technology which allows for therapists and scientists to advance their understanding of how the brain and the body respond to the world around us. The interaction between the brain, body, and environment is complex, and for the sake of clarity for this thesis this interaction will be conceptualized through the lens of the body-mind model, polyvagal theory, neuroaesthetics, the flow state, mindfulness, sensory engagement, and art as therapy. Neuroscience in relation to psychology can be used to develop a deeper understanding of …

Colorful Conversations: Enhancing Communication In Nonspeaking Toddlers Through Art Therapy, Joy Wu

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn how art therapy helps non-speaking children ages two years old build up their communication with others. Although there are not many early publications on the benefit of art therapy to children ages two, the existing research suggests that art therapy can aid those children in speaking based on the experience of art making. During the art creation process, engaging with art materials and their potential power can enable the expression and conveyance of emotions as art serves as containment. Therefore, art therapy can assist nonspeaking toddlers to begin communicating verbally. This writer …