Art Therapy Commons^™

Latino Cultural Implications For Art Therapy: The Influence Of Cultural Risk Factors And Academic Performance In High School, Piera Lynn Carfagno

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Through art therapy, this research examines the influence of the main components of Latino culture as risk and/or protective factors for internalizing and externalizing behaviors and disorders in Latino adolescents. The goal of this research is to also identify how these factors impact academic performance for Latino high school students. First, a literature review examines preexisting research evaluating the presence and influence of particular cultural factors like family expectations and roles, gender, religion, language, and parental involvement in education. Non-cultural factors include peer influence and socioeconomic influences. The literature further examines the impact these factors have been found to influence …

Perceptions Of Healing: Mind, Body And Spiritual Implications For Yoga Therapy And Art Therapy Students, Robin L. Kusilka

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study employed a mixed method approach to explore perceptions of healing, particularly as it relates to the mind, body and spirit. The data was collected via a questionnaire consisting of word lists, scaling questions, narratives and an art based component among thirty-two yoga therapy students and twenty-one art therapy students at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. The information gathered was used to explore, compare and contrast the perceptions of healing within and between the two groups. The findings suggested that both study groups shared similar concepts about the integration of the mind, body and spirituality in their …

Post-Disaster Group Art Therapy Treatment For Children, Caitlin Frances Murphy

LMU Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative research study presents a thorough examination of a group art therapy curriculum for child survivors of disaster or traumatic events. A review of the existing literature was used to inform the current study. The researcher utilized focus group method of inquiry to gain a better understanding of the topic from experts in the art therapy field. Through the gathering of data and analysis, the findings suggest that the curriculum developed to assist child survivors of traumatic events or disasters has intrinsic value and can assist in the recovery process. The focus group provided a means to analyze the …

Art Making For The Art Therapist: A Study On Clinical Insight, Therapist Identity, Self-Care, And Countertransference, Saira Crawford, Guadalupe Solis, Eliza Ann Pfister

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This arts-based and quantitative study looked at the effects of reflective art making as a tool for stress reduction, clinical insight and therapist identity formation. Research was completed by three Loyola Marymount University, art therapy graduate students. Data was collected over nine sessions consisting of inventory scores from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), as well as artwork made in response to each participant’s client presentation. The research questions answered were: How does the reflective art-making process inform clinical identity as an art therapist? What effect did regular self-exploration have on burnout for the art therapist, as indicated by scores on …

Visualizing Levels Of Family Satisfaction And Quality Of Life In Families With An Autistic Member(S), Sarah Christolini, Camille Werstler

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This research served to visualize levels of family satisfaction and quality of life in families with an Autistic member(s). Art-based qualitative survey was the primary method of gathering data. The vast majority of the literature on autism focused on the treatment of the child, yet some literature suggested a re-focusing on the family as the unit of treatment may improve family satisfaction and quality of life. Taking this into consideration this research explored how parents experience family satisfaction through written and visual responses. The theme of independence for the child with autism was present in all five visual responses which …

Organizational Restructuring And The Process Of Image Making: An Arts-Based Inquiry Of The Image Making Experiences Provided For The Delegates Of A Religious Congregation Involved In Restructuring, Donna L. Gibbs

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examines the impact image-making experiences had on the leadership restructuring of a women’s religious congregation. Six Catholic women religious ranging in ages 65-85 participated in an arts-based workshop informed by art therapy theories to explore the meaning of making art during their Province Chapter meetings in which leadership restructuring was on the agenda. In addition, 42 of the 80 Province Chapter delegates responded to a survey about their experience. The data collected includes the survey, the workshop process, the images made by the six participants, their verbal sharing about their image, and their written reflections. Five common …

An Art Therapy Program Design For Anti-Bullying In New Jersey Middle Schools, Michele Deanna Seher

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This thesis proposes an art therapy based anti-bullying program for a model school in New Jersey. The program design responds to strict Anti-Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (Anti-HIB) regulations mandated for NJ schools by the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights (ABR). The target population is middle school (grades 7 and 8), which exhibits the highest rate of HIB activity. Programmatic art therapy services focus on prevention through an art-based anti-bullying club, after school open studio, and psychoeducational application of group art therapy addressing HIB curriculum. Art therapy is also advised for the intervention and remediation of HIB incidents, as necessary.

Sense Of Self And Relational Connections Through The Use Of Textile Arts, Lisa Thompson-Gibson

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

This thesis explores the use of textile arts to inform sense of self and authenticity in developing growth fostering relationships. Through narrative inquiry, 11 textile artists were interviewed to explore the question of how relational cultural theory (RCT) and textile arts can inform a sense of self and authenticity for use in art therapy settings. Themes in the research findings included an understanding of how participants originally became involved in textiles, their approach in the creative process, their development of relational connections with others, and how they repair relational disconnections through textile work. Relational cultural theory provided the theoretical framework …

Paper Soldiers: A Clinical Case Study Exploring Papermaking As An Art Therapy Intervention To Increase Posttraumatic Growth In Military Sexual Trauma Survivors, Yonsenia White

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Through a six-week qualitative, single subject clinical case study, the effect of papermaking and other paper based art therapy directives showed potential in increasing posttraumatic growth in a veteran with military sexual trauma (MST) related PTSD. Pre and Post-Test Questionnaires and the AT-PIA were administered to assess the client’s current level of mental health functioning, feelings about the MST experience, and to develop a treatment goal and art directives for the study, as well as check in and check out words, and Self-Work Assignments for personal reflection. Papermaking was chosen as the main art intervention because it carries within itself …

Proposal For An Art Therapy Clinical Program Within The U.S. Department Of Veterans Health Administration, Darshini Walton

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, the military veteran population has increased due to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This increase is congruent with the escalation of a Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnoses among military war veterans. Currently, the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) PTSD treatment utilizes various pharmacologic and/or psychotherapeutic interventions ranging from Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in residential and outpatient settings. In the event a veteran has a “complicated medical case” or comorbidity that does not respond to conventional medical treatment, the veteran may be referred to an art therapist, …

Self Study: A Heuristic Exploration Of Father-Absence Through A One-Canvas Process Painting, Brittany Adams

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Literature has indicated that there has been a growing interest in the career motivations and development of the professional therapist and counselor, including personality, family background, gender, cultural background, spirituality, and values. Individuals who pursue a career in a helping profession commonly express an interest in understanding and helping others with minimal awareness of the origin of that helping desire. This self-study was designed to explore my experiences of father-absence through a one-canvas process painting as a means to building self-awareness and my professional art therapist identity. Art-based research and heuristic inquiry allowed me to investigate my experiences of father-absence …

Art Therapy And Cognitive Processing Therapy For Combat Ptsd: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Melissa Campbell

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Five veterans were recruited for this randomized controlled trial examining the effects of art therapy in conjunction with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for veterans with combat PTSD. The results of this study supported our hypothesis that art therapy in combination with CPT would be more effective, and indicated that art therapy is a powerful form of treatment for this population and needs to be explored further. Other goals of this study were to gain a basic understanding of the benefits of art therapy for combat veterans with PTSD and if it should be included as a standard treatment for this …

The Impact Of Cane Scribble Exercises Upon Mood And Anxiety, Virginia Leigh Bridges

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

A paucity of research supporting the influence of art processes and materials is a major deficit in the field of art therapy. In this thesis study, the impact of Cane Scribble Exercises in regard to improving mood and decreasing anxiety was investigated through non-­‐experimental retrospective analysis. From a data set of response sheets generated by psychiatrically diagnosed, acutely hospitalized adults before and after the intervention, statistically significant positive change was noted for the participants from pre-­‐intervention to post-­‐intervention in both anxiety level (0.7083 ± 0.093, F=57.22, p< .0001) and depression level (0.6111 ± 0.104, F=34.25, p < .0001). Further investigation of the impact of demographic factors revealed subtle differences in mean change between the factors, but an overall positive change across age, gender, and diagnoses remained present. The reliability of the method of rating change, limitations of the study design, and comparisons to previously published research are discussed. The results of this study, that positive change occurs in patients who participate in Cane Scribble Exercises, suggest many opportunities for further art therapy research.

Growing In Community: Eco-Art Therapy In An Elementary School Garden, Stephanie Leftwich-Needham

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This study endeavored to gain a preliminary understanding of how children respond to eco-art therapy. Mental illness in children is increasing and often leads to adult mental illness. A holistic approach to mental health and early prevention seems vital. Previous studies conclude that children are especially responsive to the healing benefits of both art therapy and nature therapy. However, there is no research to date evaluating an eco-art therapy approach to working with children.

The author led six second-graders identified by the public school system as struggling with social skills through eco-art therapy directives designed to address issues such as …

An Exploratory Study Of The Graduate School Experience Recorded Through Photography, Mary Keenehan

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory self-study utilized the medium of photography to record my art therapy and counseling graduate school experience. Photographs and written reflections of the images were recorded weekly during an eight-week period. Qualitative data including 38 photographs and corresponding responses were analyzed in order to extract patterns and themes from my overall experience. Photography combined with the reflection process was found to facilitate integration of my art therapist identity and fostered personal growth and insight.

Culture And Acculturation In Kinetic Family Drawings By Salvadoran And Salvadoran-American Children, Geraldine Gómez

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This study compared Kinetic Family Drawings created by Salvadoran children and those by Salvadoran-American children. The focus of this study was to gather information about cultural differences between the two groups and identify the indicators of those differences. Participants included 25 Salvadoran children and 14 Salvadoran- American children. Each group of children was directed to create a Kinetic Family Drawing. Results indicated graphic indicators from both groups which included differences with paper orientation, use of space, use of color, depiction of baseline, environment, size of figures, stick figures, gender role stereotypes, skin tones, depiction of self, family members, and family …

An Art Therapy Self-Care Intervention With Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Leila Christine Saadeh

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Type 2 DM is a chronic lifestyle disease that is becoming an epidemic in the United States. Self-care practices are vital in management of this disease and rely on patient responsibility. This mixed-methods study tested the effectiveness of group art therapy in improving diabetes self-care in six adults ages 45-75 with type 2 DM. The study consisted of six art therapy group sessions over a six week period. The study utilized pre-and post-intervention quantitative measures including HgbA1C, BP, SDSCA, and the HANDS to measure glycemic control, diabetes self-care, and depressive symptoms. Qualitative measures included a content analysis of the six …

Art And The Brain: Implications For Art Therapy, Katherine Lawrance

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The requirements for a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy and Counseling do not include education on neurology. This thesis explores how neurology that could be beneficial for art therapy education. To begin, basic understanding of brain regions, cell structure, memory storage, neurological equipment, and pathologies is explored. This information was used to further explore creativity in the brain, the neurology of viewing art, and psychological and neurological pathologies. This information is compared in relation to current research on art creation, and/or art therapy within healthy individuals or corresponding pathologies and compiled into organized tables. From the literature review, information was …

A Study Of The Thematic Content And Formal Elements Of A Free Choice Drawing Created By Older Adults Diagnosed With Alzheimer’S Disease: A Mixed Methods Investigation, Kelly Rose Spessard

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This study used a mixed methods approach to examine the themes in the Free Choice Drawings (FCD) created by13 older adults with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Mini-Cog was used as the instrument to identify cognitive impairment in the participants. All participants were scored as positive for cognitive impairment according to the scoring instructions for the Mini-Cog. The FCD followed the Mini-Cog. Of the 13 participants, eight attempted the FCD and five left their paper blank. The FCD was rated using a modified version of the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS). Scales included, Prominence of Color, Color …

Existential Art Therapy With An Elder Male Following Spousal Loss: A Clinical Case Study, Sarah Elizabeth Smith

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Spousal loss in late life is a common experience for elders, especially considering the current increase in longevity occurring throughout the population. Unfortunately, the traumatic impact of this experience is often minimized due to the societal expectation of death in old age, resulting in a lack of focus on this unique bereavement process. Throughout an elders grief process, a great deal of existential questioning often arises, not only regarding the loss of his or her spouse but also in regard to his or her own mortality due to personal end-of-life concerns. It is important for mental health professionals to not …

Art Therapy And Infertility, Kaitlyn Wash

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

In response to the lack of attention to mental health aspects of infertility, this multiple case pilot study investigated the impact of art therapy interventions on depressive symptoms in women diagnosed with infertility. Since literature indicates women experience significant distress that impacts their psychological well-being and contributes to depressive symptoms. Furthermore the literature indicated that since infertility is regarded as a low-control situation, women tend to employ avoidance, repression, and denial as their primary coping mechanisms to deal with their negative emotions. As the utilization of art therapy has been found to contribute to decreasing depressive symptoms, it was hypothesized …

Implications For Art Therapy: A Study Evaluating Art Processes And Materials In Dreamwork, Megan Chadwick

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this thesis was to discover which art processes and materials best assist dreamers in discovering meaning in their dreams and aid in the benefits of dream work. It also aimed to provide a basic framework for dreamwork within art therapy. An eight-hour group workshop was designed using Robert Hoss' s "Dreamwork Worksheet." Each question was paired with an art process or material in accordance to the Expressive Therapies Continuum. One participant attended, a 35-year-old single African American woman. Overall, the results showed that art processes and materials that are most beneficial to dreamers are those that are …

Art-Based Cultural Competency And Empathy Building In Medical Education, Gabrielle Mormile

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Research in the medical field has emphasized the importance of positive patient-doctor relationships for improving treatment outcomes and quality of care. This has included a call for integrated cultural competency and empathy-building components in medical education. This study used art-based methods developed from the field of art therapy in one large class experience with 144 first-year medical students, as well as six 90-minute group sessions with four volunteers from the same group. Data analysis for the large class included an online survey and a pretest and posttest Health Beliefs Attitudes Survey (HBAS). In addition, the small group participants completed a …

Combat Paper Project, William Joiner Institute For The Study Of War And Social Consequences, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Coming home from war is enormously difficult. A new language is required to express the magnitude of war’s effects and consequences. Combat Paper transforms the uniforms of battle to paper and from this transformation comes art. Developed by veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in San Francisco, the project has now traveled broadly across the United States and the world.

Dehumanization Of Cancer Patients: An Art Therapy Case Study Utilizing Visual Journaling, Michelle Vaughan

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This case study explores the effects of an eight week semi-structured art therapy intervention on the quality of life of a cancer patient. The intervention consisted of visual journaling directives that were utilized to help the client cope with her illness as well as an unstructured portion. The unstructured portion mainly consisted of three dimensional art experiences as determined by the client. The case study sought to answer three clinical case questions surrounding the client’s identity, quality of life, and exploration of any occurrences of client dehumanization. The eight week art therapy intervention concluded with a semi-structured interview. The results …

The Effects Of Art Therapy On The Self-Efficacy And Self-Concept Of A Group Of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sarah Peters

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study utilized a within group, pre and posttest design to examine whether a group art therapy experience would have an effect on the self-concept and self-efficacy of group of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Six subjects took part in the study (n=3 male) and (n=3 female) ages 7 to 10. The subjects took part in eight group art therapy sessions which lasted approximately one hour each. The art tasks were designed to provide students with opportunities to gain mastery and competence. It was hypothesized that an experience in an art therapy group would …

The Impact Of Prison Arts Programs On Inmate Attitudes And Behavior: A Quantitative Evaluation, Larry Brewster

Public and Nonprofit Administration

California has been a leader in prison fine arts programs. Arts-in-Corrections, the granddaddy of them all, enjoyed a highly successful 30 year run until its closure in 2010 as a result of the state's budget crisis. This study evaluates three demonstration projects modeled after AIC, and prison theater programs offered through The Actors' Gang's Prison Project and Marin Shakespeare. Inmates from San Quentin, Soledad, New Folsom and CRC, Norco state prisons participated in the study. Pre-and Post surveys designed to measure changes in attitudes and behavior were administered at the start and finish of each 12-week arts program. The surveys …

Singing An Imaginal Dialogue: A Study Of A Bereavement-Specific Music Therapy Intervention, Yasmine A. Iliya

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to understand the experience of singing an imaginal dialogue with a deceased loved one. This bereavement-specific music therapy intervention was an adaptation of Shear, Frank, Houck, and Reynolds’ (2005) imaginal dialogue intervention and was heavily influenced by Austin’s (2008) method of vocal psychotherapy. Following Shear’s (2006) use of the spoken imaginal dialogue with therapists, the guiding question of the present study was: What are creative arts therapists’ experiences of singing the intervention? The sample consisted of nine female creative arts therapists with a minimum of three years of clinical experience. It included women who …

Colours Of Dementia : A Community Art Facilitation Programme For People With Dementia, Suk Mun, Sophia Law

Research Expression through Art : Visual Studies Faculty

Colours of Dementia was a trial art facilitation programme for dementia care in a community setting led by Prof. Sophia Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Visual Studies at Lingnan University. The programme was supported by the Hong Kong Alzheimer's Disease Association (HKADA) and Art for All. The funding came from Prof. Law's Education for Service-learning Faculty Award (2013) from the Lingnan Foundation.

The programme, which ran from December 2013 to June 2014, consisted of a series of eighteen specially designed creative workshops for 14 elders, aged 59 to 94, who were suffering from mild to advanced dementia. A …

Examining The Identity Of The Art Therapist: The Voice Of Practice And Relational Care, Denise Malis

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of personal art making on the identity and practice of the professional art therapist. This qualitative study explored the subjective experience of six female professional art therapists. Interviews were conducted and participants were asked about their personal art-making, art therapy practice, and the meaning of their professional identity. A narrative methodology, the Listening Guide, was applied to the interview data and emphasized each participant’s voice and use of expressive language. Data from this study established a three-fold identity for the professional art therapist: counselor, artist, and art therapist. Confidence in …