Art Therapy Commons^™

Graduate Art Therapy Experience Of Students Of Color, Keena Tarrant

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This narrative inquiry explored the perspectives of three professional art therapists of color. This study explored the past experience of being a graduate art therapy student of color on several levels. It also explored the impact of cultural competency course in relation to the experience of being a student of color. This experience is important in terms of how being an ethnic minority can affect the learning environment in relation to graduate experience of students of color and how cultural competency is taught to all students. This study explored the art recommendations of therapy professionals of color for cultural competency …

A School Art Therapy Group: Helping Eighth Grade Students Decrease Disruptive Behaviors And Increase Coping Skills Before The Transition To High School, Erin Spier

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The transition to high school can be difficult for adolescents, especially those exhibiting disruptive behaviors and poor coping skills. This study was concerned with developing conducting a group art therapy intervention that would help increase coping skills and decrease disruptive behaviors in eighth grade students preparing for the transition to high school. Two girls and four boys from a private school in southeastern Virginia participated in the study after the start of their final semester in eighth grade. The study consisted of 8 sessions conducted on alternating days, twice a week for a four-week period.

During the group art therapy …

A Group Art Therapy Intervention To Increase Self-Efficacy In Battered Women, Sheryl Marie Morrison

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Domestic violence is a problem that affects an estimated six million women every year (Berry, 1998). There are many theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon such as, learned helplessness and battered woman syndrome. It is clear that the affects of domestic violence can leave lasting damage in the survivor’s ability to cope and function. One aspect that might be hindered in battered women is self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the degree to which one believes he or she has the ability to be successful. The Self-Efficacy Scale (SES) created by Sherer, et al. (1982) was used to assess the clients’ self-efficacy. …

A Study On The Effects Of Wheel Throwing And A Child Diagnosed With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Jennifer Evans

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

It has been estimated that 3-7 percent of children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Barkley, 2005). Research has found many treatment options to be effective; however, the most efficacious treatment is a combination treatment of medication and cognitive/behavioral therapy. Some art therapists have discussed the treatment of ADHD; however, few studies have large enough samples and repeatable results to provide empirical support. It was hypothesized that an eight week ceramic/wheel-throwing intervention in individual art therapy sessions would help calm and focus a child diagnosed with ADHD. This study consisted of a six week, six sessions, ceramic wheel-throwing intervention …

Exploring The Applicability Of Visual Thinking Strategy To Group Art Therapy With Adolescents, Jessica Rae Hirsh Angle

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Because adolescence is a time marked by physical, psychological, and cognitive changes and stressors, group art therapy with teens can be difficult. Art history enriched art therapy has proven effective with adults to aid in overcoming treatment difficulties. The Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) is a research supported approach to art history which emphasizes group dynamics and student-directed art discussion. Therefore, this study explores the applicability of VTS to adolescent group art therapy.

In this study, a group of four 13 to 14-year-old girls participated in a three session workshop. Session one included personal art-making and an open discussion of the …

College Athletes’ Human Figure Drawings, Kaitlin Taggart

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The demands of both lean and non-lean sports upon male athletes can lead to body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders. This study explored whether the Human Figure Drawing (HFD) is a valid method for assessing male college athletes’ body image. A total of 86 male athletes who were competitive on a lean (cross-country or wrestling) or non-lean (football or ice hockey) sport participated in the study. The score recorded on the Male Body Attitude Scale (MBAS) (Tylka, Bergeron, & Schwartz, 2005), a 24-question survey administered to each participant, focused specifically on assessing muscularity, body fat, and height attitudes of these …

Adults’ Responses To The Art Process And Interaction With Art Media, Madeline Couch

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The art materials are a major component in art therapy. Their actual usage in sessions with clients, especially with adults, has rarely been the topic of investigation. The ideas about the qualities and purposes that the art materials bring to art therapy sessions are based on older theories, which were created without evidence-based research. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adults interact with and react to art media. Five adult volunteers, who were not formally trained as artists and who did not regularly engage in artistic processes, participated in the study. The participants experimented …

Toward An Understanding Of Serial Killers Through Their Artwork: Implications For Forensic Art Therapy, Kelly Macionis

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This research study explored the formal elements and content of 258 images of artwork created by 47 serial killers to see if common themes or content could be discovered. The images were found on five Internet websites containing serial killer artwork. The 47 serial killer artists were all male and it was assumed they were imprisoned when they created their art. The artwork gathered was viewed on a laptop and analyzed using the methods of content analysis. After categories of content and formal elements in the images were entered into a spreadsheet, frequencies and percentages of each category and subcategory …

Mandala As A Measure Of Change With Adult Residents Of A Homeless Shelter, Mary W. Cochran

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Homelessness in the United States is a problem that continues to be addressed at the local, state, and federal levels. Diverse solutions to the problem of homelessness include emergency shelters, transitional shelters, and long-term housing. Shelters for families have become a common shelter type, offering diverse programs and types of services. Art therapy with the homeless has concentrated on the aspect of building self-efficacy through the creative process, however, there is limited research concerning the use of art products as a measure of change for the homeless. This study explores the use of mandala drawings to assess changes occurring in …

Stained Glass At The Cutter's Edge, Jocelyn Fitzgerald

Art Therapy | Master's Theses in Print

This thesis explored the personal experience of creating a stained glass window with five adolescents who had previously been identified as causing self-harm to themselves. The narratives of these five adolescents between the ages of thirteen to seventeen were collected in qualitative interviews. This study emphasized the importance of; self-object and transitional object, destructive and creative process, power and self-esteem. The literature illuminates; the history of self-mutilation, the current issues with self- mutilation, including the internet and cultures outside of the United States, the combination of narrative therapy with art therapy, the use of stained glass as an intervention, and …

Exile, Identity, And Artistic Creation: An Arts Based Phenomenological Study With Immigrant Women: A Dissertation, Vera Heller

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This arts based phenomenological study with immigrant women explores the migratory and creative processes from the perspective of the Hero's archetype, viewed by Jung as a template for individuation. Its objective is to gain further insight into the contribution of art therapy to healing the fragmentation of identity inherent in the transition between two - often radically different - cultures.

A Program Evaluation Research Study On The Implementation Of The Mentors In Violence Prevention Program In A Public High School: A Dissertation, Nancy G. Beardall

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program is the subject of this research study. MVP is a high school leadership and mentoring program that focuses on promoting gender respect and preventing harassment, sexual harassment and teen dating abuse in middle schools and high schools. This program evaluation study of the MVP program utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings suggest the MVP training supports the mentors in their ability to become active bystanders and leaders in this work, not only in the short term and while they are in the program, but over the long term, when they are …