Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Practices Commons^™

The Readiness Reset: Sleep, Stress, And Pain Management For Tactical Performance, Lauren Fried

Tactical & Occupational Performance Conference

Tactical professionals operate in high-demand environments where sleep disruption, chronic stress, and persistent pain are often normalized, but these factors significantly affect readiness, resilience, and long-term performance. This session explores how sleep, stress, and pain interact at the physiological and neurological levels to influence decision-making, recovery, injury risk, and operational effectiveness in first responders and military personnel.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how nervous system regulation, circadian rhythms, and pain perception affect both physical and cognitive performance under stress. Drawing on current research and applied human performance principles, this session highlights practical, field-applicable strategies that tactical professionals and …

Addressing Mental Health Issues And The Effectiveness Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Mindfulness-Based Interventions Among Athletes, Shelby Jones-Stachnik

Dissertations

This literature review identifies mental health concerns among competitive athletes and evaluates psychological interventions to address these challenges. Specifically, the review explores the mental health concerns experienced by athletes engaged in high-level sport. It examines whether cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions are effective approaches for improving psychological outcomes in this population. A systematic review of peer-reviewed research was conducted, and findings were synthesized to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based interventions. The review included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and meta-analyses examining psychological interventions in athletic populations. Findings across the literature indicate that both cognitive behavioral …

Therapeutic Qualities And Applications Of Clay In Expressive Arts Therapy: A Literature Review, Julia Caruso

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review investigates the therapeutic qualities and clinical applications of clay within the framework of expressive arts therapy (ExAT), with particular focus on sensorimotor, somatic, and developmental interventions. Drawing upon the expressive therapies continuum (ETC), this review synthesizes emerging research highlighting clay's kinesthetic and tactile properties as key mechanisms for facilitating emotional expression, accessing unconscious material, and promoting psychological resilience. Evidence is presented for specialized therapeutic modalities such as clay art therapy (CAT) and Clay Field Work, which engage the body-mind connection to support trauma integration and emotion regulation. Findings demonstrate that clay's inherent adaptability and sensory richness allow …

Supporting Elementary Educators Through A Nervous System Regulation And Social-Emotional Learning Skills Workshop Intervention: An Musc Capstone Project, Lily Morgan

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Teachers have a great influence on developing children’s emotional intelligence, regulatory capacity, and occupational engagement. These professionals also happen to report some of the highest rates of stress, mental health challenges (Agyapong, B. et al, 2022), and burnout (Xie, M., et al, 2022). Providing teachers with education and support on nervous system regulation, social-emotional learning skills, and related topics can improve their ability to manage job stress, enhance modeling and interactions with students, and improve their quality of life. This project aimed to enhance knowledge, provide access to resources, and serve to support elementary educators at an inner-city school in …

Embracing The Suck: Overcoming Moral Injury-Related Attachment Trauma Through Outdoor Adventure, Emerald D. Ralston

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Moral injury is increasingly recognized as a distinct and debilitating consequence of military service, arising when individuals engage in, witness, or are unable to prevent actions that transgress their deeply held moral beliefs. In this dissertation, I argue that this form of trauma can be experienced as an attachment rupture, particularly when the military—functioning as an institutional attachment figure—betrays the servicemember’s trust. Such experiences compromise internal working models (IWMs) of self, others, and the world, and may result in complex trauma symptoms, including dissociation, depersonalization, and profound relational disconnection. These injuries are frequently stored in the body, rendering traditional cognitive …

Feldenkrais And Music Informed Listening: A Neurophenomenological Perspective On Autism, Arona Primalani

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Phenomenologists identify the subjective body and its felt-senses as the basis for human development and consciousness, including mental health. Several mental health disorders, when viewed from a phenomenological perspective, share common symptomology related to varying extents of fractured selves, which in turn hinders dynamic interaction between individuals, their actions, and their relationships with their social and material worlds. Autism is one such condition. Hence, I created an intervention to investigate how listening, which foster subjective and intersubjective experiences, lies at the heart of somatic and arts-based interventions. This thesis, first, begins with a summary of the presenting symptoms observed in …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

“Too Pretty To Be Brain Injured” Dance Movement Therapy And Women With/Recovering From Traumatic Brain Injury: A Literature Review, Cathy Patricia Hall

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The objective of this literature aims to first, elucidate the history of the exclusion or absence of women in research examining traumatic brain injury (TBI). Second, in reviewing more recent published research examining women and traumatic brain injury, trends indicate women are prone to injury at increasing rates to men, due to biological sex, physiological makeup, and different etiologies. Finally, this literature review endeavors to examine published dance/movement therapy (DMT) research, and recommendations, for suggested interventions to apply to women with traumatic brain injuries and common comorbid diagnosis of depression, and PTS. Unique challenges this population experiences. In doing so …

Incorporating Poi As A Therapeutic Modality For Preschool Aged Children In The Care Clinic, Danielle Zirkle

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Examining State Of Flow And Its Future In Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review, Rachael A. Cohen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper analyzes State of Flow, the definition codified by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and analyzes how Flow as a concept has developed in current psychological and artistic research, alternative therapies, and mainstream medias. This paper also views existing Dance/Movement Therapy frameworks such as Body-Mind Centering and Kestenberg Movement Profile to see how Csikszentmihalyi’s definition could integrate into current Dance/Movement Therapy practice, as well as looks at Laban Movement Analysis and its future in Dance/Movement Therapy. This thesis also examines how gender and neurodivergence may impact how one can experience State of Flow.

Using Drama Therapy To Foster Peer Support Among Nurse Leaders, Chyela Rowe

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explored the use of drama therapy to support the social-emotional experiences of nurse leaders at a mid-sized regional hospital system in the Southeastern United States. Nurse leaders have experienced profound changes to their work environments in recent years and burnout has been at an all-time high among healthcare workers globally. Organizational supports for nurses and nurse leaders are both inadequate to meet the needs and under-resourced. The research questions explored 1) whether the drama therapy peer support initiative improved outcomes and 2) whether there was a significant relationship between measures, and 3) what nurse leaders described as facilitators …

Eco-Interoception: What Plants, Fungi And Protista Have Taught My Body, Sara Riley Dotterer

Art Theses and Dissertations

To me, ecology is the relational, full-body awareness that I am made up of and deeply connected to everything around me; and for better or worse, this is reciprocal. I form ecotones, an ecological transitional zone between two ecosystems, with the world around me. I use this ecotonal lens to blur binaries and dissolve boundaries between me and the world “outside my body.” During my Masters of Fine Arts at Southern Methodist University, I have continuously explored and represented the lives of various more-than-human species outside of my body, including plants, fungi and protista through an ecotonal lens. Although these …

Enacting Stories: Discovering Parallels Of Narrative And Expressive Therapies, A Literature Review, Zoe Reddig

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review will analyze the use of narrative therapy (NT) techniques, dance/movement therapy (DMT) techniques, and expressive therapy (ET) techniques in an effort to distinguish where theoretical parallels exist between these methods of counsel. Narrative therapy is a postmodern framework of counseling that assists clients in resisting damaging stories that have been embedded through bioecological systems of exposure throughout development. Narrative therapy structures its philosophy through processes of externalization and deconstruction, and encourages the process of reframing or re-authoring one’s personal self-narrative. At their core, DMT and ET already utilize components of foundational NT practices, through processes of enactment, …

Sensory Integration For Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Nadien Albanna

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Since the start of the global pandemic, stay-at-home orders forced IPV survivors to stay in the home with abusers, increasing the risk of abuse, and the impact of psychological trauma. (Bright et al., 2020). Occupational therapists are trained professionals in incorporating sensory-based strategies to focus on the somatic manifestations experienced by the body from trauma and can help to regulate physiological and psychological responses through sensory stimuli (Mcgreevy & Boland et al., 2020). The development of this project sparked an opportunity to publish a new framework to introduce the role of sensory integration in treating survivors of intimate partner violence …

Analysis Of Zero Balancing Case Studies Through An Occupational Therapy Lens, Deanna Waggy Otr, Msa, Czb, Csla

Journal of Transformative Touch

Does Zero Balancing positively impact occupational performance? This is a question many Occupational Therapists (OTs) ask when discerning if Zero Balancing (ZB) is an evidence-based treatment modality. Case studies from the book Experiencing the Power of Zero Balancing: Case Studies of Journeys to Health and Wholeness (Quarry & King, 2016) were reviewed and compared to the Occupational Therapy domain of practice to show clear evidence that each case study had a positive impact on occupational performance. A comparison chart shows a direct link between the occupational categories and documented evidence of improved occupational performance through practitioner observation and client feedback …

The Therapeutic Benefits Of Attunement Through Lindy Hop, Sarah Trowbridge

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) was developed as a tool to aide in therapeutic healing. A foundational aspect of DMT is attunement, the emotional/kinesthetic connection between two people that allows for meaningful and healing bonds to emerge. Lindy Hop is a partnered dance that fosters an environment of attunement, as it is accessed both subconsciously and consciously. This research explores Lindy Hop as a possible method of therapeutic treatment. The literature indicates the physiological need for attunement and how safety plays a key role in strengthening senses of self-identity, nervous system development, and worldview. Four experienced Lindy Hoppers were recruited to engage …

Zero Balancing In The Chiropractic Practice, Michele Doucette Dc

Journal of Transformative Touch

Discovering the profound gifts of the leading-edge structural and energetic manual therapy Zero Balancing (ZB), and adding it to my chiropractic and nutrition practice, has unified my personal growth with the sustainability of my professional practice. Much of humanity is starving for wholeness, authenticity, and meaningful connection with ourselves, others, and something greater. Chiropractors are well positioned to be leaders in a true evolution of healthcare, especially if, as we continue to explore the various branches of our therapeutic repertoires, we stay connected to our vitalistic roots that are now more supported than ever by new findings in the fields …

Sensory Approach To Self-Regulation For Adolescent Survivors Of Sex Trafficking: An Occupational Therapist's Perspective, Elyse Harmon

Student Capstone Papers

Adolescent survivors of sex trafficking (SST) are susceptible to being in a continual dysregulated arousal state due to lack of mastery in self-regulation. During the trafficking experience, many adolescent SST experience severe trauma and are deprived of opportunities that foster essential regulatory capacities needed for occupational engagement. The use of sensory-based approaches that focus on addressing arousal dysregulation and the impact it has on occupation is an evidence-based practice grounded in occupational therapy research.

This capstone sought to support community reintegration for adolescent SST through the development of sensory-based programming that fosters self-regulation, a skill necessary for occupational participation. A …

Moving Through Depression: Development Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Method In Psychiatric Inpatient Care, Melissa Olmedo

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Short-term psychiatric hospitalization is a challenging health care model due to its short duration of care, treating the highest risk psychiatric population. Priority care within a short-term psychiatric hospitalization involves monitoring a patient’s safety for stabilization by decreasing acute mental health symptoms. Holistic psychotherapy treatment options are needed to meet the severity of patients’ symptoms for effective stabilization within a short-term model of care. This paper investigates the first implementation of a dance/movement therapy (DMT) method within two short-term units in a notable Boston hospital. The DMT group called Mindful Movement was facilitated weekly as single sessions to adults ranging …

The Partial Immersion Aquatic Approach Using Adjustable Weight Bearing To Improve Posture And Sitting Balance Adaptation For Children With Severe Cerebral Palsy, Niv Shelef

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The innovative ‟Partial Immersion” Aquatic Therapy Approach was developed to enhance balance and posture during sitting adaptation for children with severe cerebral palsy who exhibit deficiency in those skills on land. Stable balance during sitting posture is one of the preconditions for hands function in activities of daily living. Aquatic skills learned during aquatic therapy were then transferred to a land environment. Therapy included the use of a treatment chair that enabled adjustable weight bearing in a series of 30 mm steps. A mixed-methods design employing a multiple case study approach (n=5) including quantitative and qualitative methods investigated the effectiveness …

Loss Of Self In Dissociation In Prostitution; Recovery Of Self In Connection To Horses: A Survivor's Journey, Sandra Norak

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This narrative is about dissociation in the lives of women who have been exploited through prostitution. When we speak about prostitution, we do not speak often enough about the dissociation needed for women and girls to survive sexual exploitation. The author challenges the wisdom of governments such as Germany that legalize prostitution, treating it as a “job” and ignoring the violence and subsequent dissociation in women. The author describes her personal journey, explaining how women are traumatized even after the first commercial sex act, which is a sexual assault. They dissociate which makes their lives bearable, but they fail to …

Temple Stay As Transformative Travel: An Experience Of The Buddhist Temple Stay Program In Korea, Susan L. Ross, Jungyun (Christine) Hur, Jamie Hoffman

Journal of Tourism Insights

The burgeoning tourism niche called temple stay, which originated in Korea, has been marketed to Koreans and internationals as a means for travelers to become immersed in cultural heritage, learn about Buddhism, and find one’s “true self” by spending a few days to a week as a guest in a living, operational Buddhist monastery. Although this tourism segment is gaining wide-spread appeal, the temple stay phenomenon has received relatively little scholarly attention outside of Korea. The handful of papers identified on the subject that are written in English, refer to this phenomenon as constituting various segments such as rural tourism, …

Herbal Medicine And Pediatric Massage: Interning At A Tcm Pediatric Clinic, Yvette Way

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Before entering this program my knowledge of TCM was practically nonexistent. However even from a young age, I had an interest in learning about the healing properties of plants and herbs but, I had no way of exploring this interest of mine. After entering this program, I have learned more about TCM and herbal medicine. Because of the lessons that we have taken in class, it made me want to have a deeper understanding of TCM because of this, I decided to do an internship that would involve TCM. My time at Yang Zhen Er Kang clinic has taught me …

Effect Of Aquatic Exercise On Fatigue, Fitness, Arm Edema, Levels Of Distress, And Quality Of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Ellen Broach, Phillip Norrell

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a recreational therapy aquatic intervention on physical and psychosocial performance of breast cancer survivors. Eligible participants were assigned to either a water exercise group or a control group who received standard care treatment for breast cancer. The intervention group attended aquatic exercise sessions three times per week for eight weeks in a heated outdoor pool. Sessions lasted 50 minutes in duration. The aquatic exercise group significantly improved their endurance, body mass, level of distress, and total score for fatigue. No significant differences occurred in the control group. Social validity …

Rhythmic Movements And Feeling States, Melanie Johnson

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study was conducted to test the validity of a theoretical framework in developmental psychology of body movement analysis, the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP). Motor patterns associated with needs and foundations for affect expression, the tension flow rhythms (TFRs), were examined. Recent research examined the validity of the TFRs in nonclinical adults and found preliminary support for some of the KMP’s assumptions associating smooth (indulging) rhythms with indulgent affects and sharp (fighting) movements with assertive or aggressive affects. This study aimed to test the TFRs associated with the first two years of development—the sucking, biting, twisting, and strain/release rhythms. The …

Reiki And Healing Touch: Implications For Trauma Healing, Cynthia Ford

Capstone Collection

This research explores implications for trauma healing through the energy therapies Reiki and Healing Touch. This is explored through the perspectives of women living in Tacoma, Washington who receive Reiki and/or Healing Touch and are also practitioners of Reiki and/or Healing Touch. In recent decades trauma healing has proved to be a holistic endeavor, and as the practice of energy therapies such as Reiki and Healing Touch are becoming more mainstream and even accepted in the medical community, these therapies boast a myriad of physical and psychological benefits that include trauma healing. A phenomenological approach is taken to explore this …

Review Of Quick Reference Dictionary For Massage Therapy And Bodywork, John Brantley

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Review Of Quick Reference Dictionary For Massage Therapy And Bodywork, John Stephen Brantley

Faculty & Staff Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.