Art Therapy Commons^™

創作無障礙 : 一個為讀寫障礙初中生而設的藝術倡導計劃, Suk Mun, Sophia Law

Research Expression through Art : Visual Studies Faculty

《創作無障礙》是一項兩年的藝術倡導計劃，由東華三院屯門綜合服務中心與嶺南大學視覺研究系合辦，為屯門區有讀寫障礙(dyslexia)的初中學生設計為期一學年共二十節的藝術創作倡導工作坊，目的是為他們提供一處無障礙的創作平台，透過愉悅的創作過程，以及完成作品賦與的滿足感，促進他們認識自己先天的限制與天賦，發掘自己的潛能，肯定自我，增加自信。計劃分兩輪進行，參與計劃的學校共三間，包括東華三院鄺錫坤伉儷中學、中華基督教會譚李麗芬紀念中學和鐘聲慈善社胡陳金枝中學。其中鄺錫坤伉儷中學參與了兩輪的計劃， 譚李麗芬紀念中學參與了第一年、胡陳金枝中學參與了第二年的計劃。兩學年度一共有四十五位(二十九男、十六女)學生完成計劃。

為了增進家長和老師對讀寫障礙的認識，計劃期間先後舉辦了三次有關「創作與讀寫障礙」的座談會，讓主辦機構、學者和藝術倡導者與參與計劃的學生家長和老師分享計劃的理念、過程和成果。三次座談會的氣氛相當熱烈，尤其是最後一次老師的參與和意見，對促進家長和主辦機構的溝通起了很大的作用。藝術倡導者在會上就個別同學在計劃中的表現與他們的家長交換意見， 有助他們了解同學在學習上面對的困難，明白同學的潛能。

兩輪計劃在完結時都籌辦一次展覽，展出計劃中學生創作的話劇表演和藝術作品，讓家長、老師、以至社會人士能夠看到讀寫障礙學生的創意和能力，並加以肯定，使得參與的學生在計劃過程中已經建立的自我和信心，在計劃完結後能夠得到家長和老師持續的鼓勵，日後在生活和學習上幫助他們發展長處，推動他們的動力去面對困難。

Spark : An Educator's Look At Connection In 21st Century American Schools, Melissa J. Berrada

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Connection, creativity in the classroom and miracles are possible, even in today's standardized climate. The author gives examples that prove damaged systems can be overcome and difficult situations surmounted. Her hope is that this integrative master's project will show a true exploration of what it means to have an inner voice, to find and free it, and eventually express it.

Explorations Into Continuity: An Heuristic, Artistic Inquiry Into The Interplay Between Work As A Dance/Movement Therapist And Service Within The Bahá’Í Community, Elena M. Rezai

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the concept of integration between two main aspects of my life: my professional career as a dance/movement therapist on an inpatient adolescent behavioral health unit, and service guided by Bahá’í teachings in a neighborhood-based setting. Literature reviewed encompassed instances of Rudolf von Laban’s Effort elements found in the Bahá’í Writings, as well as research on the integration between the mind, body and spirit, the history of religion and mental health, and the current relationship between religion and mental health. Both artistic inquiry and heuristic methodologies were used to guide my research. Through …

Tamziq, Scattered And Connected: A Conversation In Art By Middle Eastern And American Artists, Paul Atwood, William Joiner Center For The Study Of War And Social Consequences, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The number of Iraqi refugees resettled in the United States has grown from only 202 in 2006 to approximately 17,000 in 2009. Since 2007, 58,810 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the United States. This group now forms the largest refugee population in the state of Massachusetts. At the same time, a large number of veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

This project recognizes the increasing need for dialogue and exchange with and within these communities and a further need to broaden understanding of the cultural influences on our changing communities.

Letting Go: Termination Through The Lens Of Attachment And Reflective Art, Brittany Alexandra Peterson

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This paper is a personal account of the discoveries made during a heuristic study in which the researcher sought to deepen her understanding of the difficulties of ending treatment with adolescent male clients as a female art therapist in training. Through the analysis of reflective artwork created during and after termination at a boys’ home, the researcher uncovered multiple themes as they related to the therapeutic relationship, attachment, transference/countertransference, dreams, vicarious trauma, self-care, and the ambiguity of termination. After reviewing the potential dangers of harmful termination and the paucity of literature on its effect on at-risk youth in group homes, …

An Exploration Of Art Therapy As A Treatment For Cumulative Trauma, Kristina Marie Naff

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study is informed by a grounded theory approach and explores the use of art therapy as a treatment for cumulative trauma. This paper reviews the current literature focusing on both cumulative trauma and related studies which address the nature and impact of “big T” and “little t” events and accumulated lifetime adversity. There are remarkably few studies which highlight the concept of cumulative trauma in both general psychology and art therapy literature, and there appear to be no existing studies addressing the treatment of the state of cumulative trauma to date. For this study, a series of …

A Community Art Exploration Of Bicultural Identity And Acculturation With Latino Adolescents, Stephanie V. Moreno

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This paper is an exploration among low-income Latino adolescents, which seeks to explore the experiences and the stressors from immigration, acculturation, and bicultural identity through art. The participants selected from Dolores Mission Parish in Boyle Heights California, created a personal art piece and a collaborative installation. The art explores and expresses their personal journeys with acculturation and bicultural identity. Multiple sources of data were collected including daily observation, group discussions, individual artwork, collaborative installation, and photographs taken during the workshop; to gain an understanding of what acculturation means to adolescents, how this process effects their lives, their experiences with biculturalism, …

Art In The Terror: An Analysis Of Nightmare Imagery In Art Therapy, Emily Christine Brozyna

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the utilization of participants’ nightmares in art therapy to benefit treatment. The researcher utilized a self-study by means of making art about three of her own nightmares, followed by a comparative analysis in case studies. The researcher asked the participants to make art about a nightmare they reported they had while in a treatment session, and then provided them with the opportunity to alter the image for possible means of catharsis. The researcher then discussed the process with the participants in order to answer the research questions. The participants’ ages ranged from 6-15; with two males and …

Stigma And Identity Formation In Young Adults With Chronic Mental Illness: An Exploration Through Personal Narrative And Art-Making, Kerri Lynn Blackstone

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the experience of stigma and its effect on identity formation in young adults who suffer from chronic mental illness. Data was gathered in the form of personal narratives and art-making through a a semi-structured, qualitative focus group. It was categorized and coded in order to better understand the experience of both public and internalized stigma in relation to the developmental milestones that characterize the important transition from adolescence to adulthood. Analysis of the data resulted in the emergence of three overarching themes: 1) The challenges of coping with a stigmatizing system, 2) Internalized stigma as it relates …

Integrating Art Therapy And Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing To Treat Post Traumatic Stress, Holland Elizabeth Breed

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored the integration of Art Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to treat clients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The study explored how art therapy and EMDR can be combined effectively. First, a literature review investigated previous research connecting trauma and its neurological impact, as well as the subsequent causes, symptoms and criteria for PTSD, as well as the connection between neurobiology to art therapy and EMDR. Second, an in-depth interview with a licensed MFT and registered art therapist who is also a certified EMDR practitioner portrays the ways combining art therapy and EMDR to …

An Exploration Of Contemplative Practice In The Life Of The Art Therapist, Kristina Marie Ebsen

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

A six week self-study was conducted to explore the use of regular contemplative practice and art-making to examine effects on the life of an art therapy graduate student. This study examined a three-fold inquiry regarding the use of contemplative practices, namely Buddhist meditation, as well as weekly reflective art making to broaden self-knowledge and enhance general wellbeing. Further implications of the use of contemplative practice and reflective art making were reviewed for clinical application in the field of art therapy, both for the client and art therapist.

Visual Sexuality: Integrating Art And Sex Therapies, Jillien Anne Kahn

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to understand the potential challenges and benefits of an integration between art and sex therapies. Three interviews were performed: two with certified art therapists, one with a certified sex therapist, in order to understand how each of these professionals has chosen to approach issues of sexuality and creative expression within his or her practice. The data from the interviews was critically compared within and between each interviewee, producing three overarching themes that provide a framework for understanding the potential benefits and challenges of this integration. These three themes are defined as: 1) The importance …

Art Therapy For Enhancing Academic Experience Of Male High School Freshmen, Kelvin Antonio Ramirez

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of group art therapy interventions in improving social and emotional issues for male high school freshmen. The Behavioral Assessment System for Children Second Edition (BASC-2) was used to measure academically tracked high school freshman (n = 80) receiving the 12 week intervention in a group setting in comparison to an academically matched control group (n=76). Independent sample t-tests compared participants in the Honor, Average and At Risk Tracks who received art therapy versus participants who did not. The findings indicate that for participants in the honors track, those receiving art …

Understanding Children's Art Making Preferences: Implications For Art Therapy, Amy Morrison

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study employed a phenomenological, qualitative approach to investigate children’s art making preferences. The researcher was curious about the meaning that creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional art forms held for children. Influences and contributions to children’s art making preferences were explored. Lastly the study questioned what children’s artistic preferences mean for the field of art therapy. Theories of art therapy, artistic development, and child development informed the study. Thirteen children ages 5 to 11, four boys and nine girls participated. The researcher requested the children choose a subject and create the subject in both two and three dimensions. A range of …

Art As A Catalyst For Resilience: Women Artists With A Life-Threatening Illness, Susan Firestone

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This phenomenological inquiry focused on the experiences of 12 professional women artists diagnosed with major medical illnesses, mostly cancer. Data from three in-­‐depth interviews with each participant indicated that their beliefs, personal strengths, learned skills, and lived experiences were fundamental to their commitment to art as a way of life. The overarching question of whether long-­‐term involvement in creative practices acted as a catalyst for resilience during and after treatments became the seminal exploration in this study. Data analysis used methods for qualitative research devised by Moustakas (1994), Giorgi (1985), and Forinash (2012), and a conversational approach in interviews suggested …

Intergenerational Mythweaving And Cultural Identity, Ethelyn Anguluan-Coger

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The study explored how intergenerational mythweaving as a form of expressive arts therapies affected the cultural identity of an intergenerational Filipino-American group. The specific research question addressed was, “Is Indigenous Artivism or IA an effective medium for fostering awareness of kapwa-based cultural identity?” IA was the theoretical framework with three components: the indigenous approach of storytelling, the indigenous process called kapwa-based intergenerational mythweaving or KIM, and an indigenous knowledge of helping and healing as a means for decolonization. IA was assumed to increase the awareness of cultural identity when participants achieved symbolic synthesis and cultural healing on the individual and …

The Silhouettes Of Autism, Chloe J. Dobbert

CMC Senior Theses

My passion as a student at the Claremont Colleges is to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder grow and learn as normal children and to help prepare them for life outside the Autism Center at Claremont McKenna College. In my thesis project, I am exploring the concept of silhouettes through photography and my perceptions of the stories told to me by the children I teach. Esthetically, I am inspired by Kara Walker’s installation of large cutout silhouettes but I am using different mediums to accomplish my project: Artistically, I am inspired by the detailed descriptions of the obsessive stories and …

Scripting Therapeutic Screen Stories : Animating The Healing Potential Of Film Narratives, Andrew Levett

Theses : Honours

Beyond entertainment, animated narratives can potentially induce psychological healing, termed “individuation.” Stories exist in many forms, like literature, film and conversation, as well as in the human mind, or “psyche.” These “self-narratives” use life experience to shape consciousness. Therefore, effective storytelling based on archetypal myths can restructure the psyche. Film narratives communicate meaning through symbols, termed “textual cues”, while screenwriters employ specific templates, which organise story information into familiar structures. These guide audiences towards predetermined meaning. Through bibliotherapy, which is the use of literature for therapeutic purposes, audiences project their unconscious content onto narrative components that resonate with it. Ego-consciousness …