Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Once Upon An Assessment, Shannon Culligan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

For this research Six-Piece Story Making, an assessment created by Mooi Lahad (2006), was used to elicit a more creative way of assessing risk daily with children. After reviewing the literature on the topic of using storytelling as a therapeutic intervention with children, it was found that there is a lack of information around using storytelling within a partial hospitalization environment. This research began to explore the possibilities of using storytelling in a partial hospitalization setting with male and female children aging in range from 6 to 13 years of age. It was found that within a partial hospitalization program …

Exploring The Use Of Altered Books As A Tool For Self-Care With Adolescent Girls Diagnosed With Eating Disorders In A Residential Treatment Facility, Lucy Williams

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Art therapy has been implemented in eating disorder treatment facilities to aid in a multidisciplinary approach to treating a complex disorder; which is complemented by anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Those that practice art therapy in these settings are witness to its benefits, but few studies have explored the potential benefits of specific art-making in different levels of care. The goal of art therapy with this population is to provide a means for communication and expression to help explain how one is feeling about, thinking about and understanding their disorder. Informed by the research of art therapy …

Dance Movement Therapy With Adolescents In A Partial Hospital Program: A Method For Engagement, Claude Michelle Aubourg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Therapeutic engagement during adolescence can be a major challenge in adolescent mental health. Research has indicated therapeutic techniques designed for engaging clients are often ineffective for adolescents because adolescents bring distinctive qualities to the therapy process that differentiate them from other therapy populations. There is also limited research showing effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) with the adolescent population. This capstone will present an adaptable method utilizing dance/movement therapy interventions with participants ages 12-17 in a Partial Hospital Program. The objective of this project was to examine how DMT can improve engagement in treatment with adolescents in a partial hospital program …

Drama Therapy With Active Duty Service Members, Leayne Dempsey

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The objective of this capstone thesis was to design a 50-minute drama therapy group session that worked within the interdisciplinary treatment model of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) and its Healing Arts Program located on the base of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. It was grounded in Frydman’s (2016) theoretical framework that partners drama therapy with neuropsychology, and considers elements of Landy’s (1996) Role Theory, J.L. Moreno’s concept of spontaneity (Howie &Bagnall,2016), Developmental Transformations (Butler, 2012) and Sociodrama (Sternberg &Garcia, 2000). It also aimed to further Frydman’s (2016) research by applying it to the …

The Efficacy Of Journal Writing In Assisting Survivors Of Sexual Trauma Towards Post-Traumatic Growth, Claire Creely

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Along with a cultural shift in the United States to advocate against sexual assault, there is an increase in literature suggesting clinical interventions to promote transformation following trauma by sexual assault. Historically, research and clinical application has focused on post-traumatic stress disorder, but there is an increase in literature that encourages clinical intervention following trauma to encourage survivors to intercept symptoms of post-traumatic stress and transform their experience into post-traumatic growth. Journal writing therapy may be an efficient, evidence-based therapeutic technique for encouraging this transformation towards post-traumatic growth.[k1] A review of the literature on writing therapy practice and post-traumatic …

A Match Made In Mental Health: An Exploration In Using Drama Therapy As An Adjunct Therapy Paired With Psychoeducation, Natalie Doyle

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This project focuses on the use of drama therapy as an adjunct therapy with psychoeducation to increase insight, engagement, and information retention with adults who are managing severe mental illness. The facilitator (this writer) utilized drama therapy and psychoeducation to aid adult clients (20-75years of age) in a goal-setting group. It was conducted with a mixed diagnoses group in a community mental health agency partial care program. The group was made up of English speaking only, Spanish speaking only, and bi-lingual clients. Most of the clients receive government benefits such as Medicaid, SSI, etc. The study took place over the …

The Use Of Role Theory To Build Identity In Adolescents, Jordan Crawford

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper discusses how role theory introduced through the arts can aide adolescents in understanding the many parts of their own identity. The research focuses on the idea that through strengths based identity building, teens can increase their self-knowledge and self-esteem which will in turn decrease the chances for each individual developing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Relevant literature and research were used in order to develop evidence based expressive art therapy interventions to further explore identity using a strengths based approach. The intervention was introduced to an adolescent client who has a diagnosis of adjustment disorder with anxiety and …

Using An Experience With The Creative Process To Initiate Personal Grief Narratives, Kelia Bergin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Grieving is universal and grief is unique to the individual experiencing it. Over time, societal shifts have turned the author’s experience of grief in modern, western society to something that is to be experienced in private and on a timeline. Once accepted as a shared human experience, grief became pathologized, and societal support diminished. Art and the creative process have prevailed through time as, among other things, a space in which to explore difficult emotions and the duality of light and dark; concepts commonly associated with grief as well. While research on grief and research on the expressive therapies exist, …

Sacar La Voz: A Manifesto For My Latinx Peers, Gabriela Nunez-Santiago

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis was originally concerned with the use of expressive arts therapy with Latinx survivors of domestic violence. As the author carried out the review of literature, she began to encounter fundamental issues in the way that the Latinx community is approached in research. Instead of carrying out a traditional review of literature, the author approached the literature through three main questions: "Who is the research about?," "Who is the research by?,” and "Who is the research for?" Reductive generalizations, missing information, and disempowering assumptions were found. These problematic realities are presented as symptomatic of larger systemic issues, which the …

Cross-Lateral Movement To Promote Motor Functioning And Executive Functioning In Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Courtney Chow

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone project sought to explore the relationship between dance/movement therapy and autism spectrum disorder by designing and implementing a cross-lateral movement method. Cross-lateral movement is oppositional locomotion that activates a diagonal pattern of connectivity (ex: top left to bottom right). Participants (n = 41) consisted of students aged 18-22, in a college-based transition program, who presented with a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities including ASD. Participants were divided into three groups; the first two groups performed the method twice and the third group performed the method once. Outcomes observed included positive changes in participants’ self-report of affect, motor …

Earth Turning: Ecosomatic Exploration And Social Action Community Art Option 3, Community Engagement Project, Mollie Malia Matteson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Ecopsychology emerged to redress harm caused by a long dominant western worldview that humans are separate from nature. Somatic psychology is premised on the unity of body and mind, which western thought also divided for centuries. The emerging field of ecosomatics supports embodied humans in relationship to the body of Earth. When utilized in psychotherapy, expressive arts, and social action-oriented community art, ecosomatic approaches facilitate an understanding of the continuity between inner and outer nature.

A one-day community workshop in ecosomatic practice and nature-based expressive arts was offered to explore embodied dialogue with nature. The workshop involved time outdoors as …

Developing Social Skills Through An Open Studio Art Therapy Group With Older Children, Amanda Hoyle

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper examines six sessions of an open studio art therapy group with three older children in a therapeutic day school, with a specific focus on social skills. The design of this study was based on the presenting needs of the students who were referred to the group which included improvement in social skills and self-expression, with the support of research in trauma, attachment, neurobiology, and art therapy. The participating students are all male, range in age from 11 to 14 years old, and each identify with different cultural backgrounds. The students were provided with a studio space and materials …

Integrating Art Therapy And Horticultural Therapy To Best Serve The Needs Of At-Risk Adolescents: A Literature Review, Kara Rodecker

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis examines existing literature on art therapy, horticultural therapies, and positive youth development, as they specifically meet the emotional needs of at-risk adolescences. The following paper provides an overview of the adolescent stage of development and how early attachment styles and environmental risk factors contribute to youth being labeled as at risk. At risk adolescents are more likely to have missed out on early attachments that are necessary to experience empathetic attunement, which should serve as the foundation of relationships throughout their life. The multiple environmental risk factors contribute to a sense of lack of control over their …

The R.A.I.N.E. Method, Ramanda Brockett

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The imagination-in-service of empathy also creates a context for measuring children’s social, linguistic, comprehension, and organizational skills through the clinical observation of pretend play (Hendler-Lederer,2002). Both sociological insights carry heavy implications for the use and impact of imagination for both adults and children as well as individuals and clinicians. On the educational field, there is a wide academic debate about the disuse of imagination in the current educational system. Finally, in authentic movement, there is a strong link between imagination and affect where, not only is the clinician imagining the emotions that accompany the affect being moved by the individual …

Marble Painting With Veterans To Help Symptoms Of Ptsd In The Mind And Body, Victoria Taylor

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This study is a neurologically-based art therapy treatment investigation to better understand if marble painting can help reduce the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Three marbling painting sessions were conducted over three weeks. The group focused on the main goals which included discovering a rhythm while using fast or slow movements, focusing on this rhythm and become aware of any emotion felt during the process. The participants were encouraged to make a series of marble paintings and to experiment with different colors. The observations found from this study suggest that marble painting should be used as an art therapy …

How Expressive Arts Therapy Benefits Children Living With Acquired Brain Injuries, Stacia Boynton

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review explores the positive effects of using an intermodal expressive arts therapy approach when working with children living with an acquired brain injury (ABI). This review outlines symptoms and difficulties children living with ABI experience, it introduces general brain structure, and provides evidence for the potential use of intermodal expressive arts therapy with this population. This review is intended as a tool kit for therapists who are not experienced in working with this client population. It will share research on surrounding expressive therapy modalities such as art, music, dance, drama, and expressive arts therapy; also referred to as …

Use Of The Creative Arts Therapies And Creative Interventions With Lgbtq Individuals: Speaking Out From Silence A Literature Review, Tracy Huerta

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community is an at-risk population in dire need of competent treatment. This thesis explores sixteen published articles that investigate the use of the expressive therapies and expressive arts with LGBTQ individuals. The silencing of the LGBTQ community by an oppressive heterosexist and transphobic society causes negative impacts to LGBTQ individuals’ wellbeing, physical health, and self-expression. Research suggests that because of their stigmatized identity the LGTBQ community has special therapeutic concerns such as, internalized self-hatred, social rejection, gender or sexual orientation confusion, and safety needs. Multicultural and feminist theories of psychology propose that …

Expressive Arts Therapy As A Supplemental Treatment For Schizophrenic Symptoms Through A Neurobiological Lens, Kayleigh Houlker

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review seeks to investigate 3 modalities under the expressive therapies umbrella, music, art, and dance as possible interventions for reduction of intensity and frequency of symptoms of schizophrenia. By reviewing available literature on the effects schizophrenia has on the brain and comparing that to the available literature on these modalities as they have been studied neurologically, and any literature available on the intersection of these topics, this review attempts to make a case for the use of the arts as in addition to antipsychotic medication to alleviate schizophrenia symptoms. What was found is that music, art, and dance, …

Performance As Therapy And Its Role In Community Healing: A Literature Review, Hannah Reclam

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Performance has developed and shifted into therapeutic intent by defining drama therapy, therapeutic theater, and applied theater for the purposes of community growth and healing (Boehm & Boehm, 2003). The cathartic principles of therapy, audience role, and performative story telling support this lens of community alliance (Sajnani, 2013). Further exploration of the specific impact behind each of these modalities of performance work is needed to support its role in community healing. Research collected within this thesis included peer reviewed articles, dissertations, chapters, and other applied quantitative and qualitative studies, including arts-based research. The use of various methods within drama therapy …

An Identity Healing: Socialization And African-Centered Practices With At-Risk Youth, Jessica Shabazz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

African-Centered practices are being regarded as valuable therapeutic healing methods within the African-diaspora. However, there is limited research that examines the propitious advantages and psychotherapeutic use of Afrocentric movement of two very distinctive, yet possible complementary systems, the Katherine Dunham technique and Kemetic Yoga. The research available on these African-based movement practices recognizes them as holistic and encompassing a mind/body/soul connection. Ritualistic practices in counseling remains a growing interest to mental health practitioners of all cultures, to ensure that clients are provided with an experience of client-centered psychotherapy. Therapeutic African-centered practices align with Carl Rogers’ person-centered approach and the psychotherapeutic …

The Virtual Response Art Method: Managing Countertransference In Art-Based Research, Carol Hodson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis describes the application of an original approach to art-based research (ABR) developed by Carol P. Hodson and used in in collaboration with two participants. In this method, called the Virtual Response Art (VRA) method, the researcher created digital response art based on participants’ original art and wrote in self-reflective prose during and after the digital art process. Results in this study illustrate how the researcher’s use of the VRA method over six months allowed her to gain increased empathy for the participants and identify, process, and manage the countertransference she experienced in response to each participant and their …

Drama Therapy As A Tool For Promoting Resiliency In At Risk Youth, Devin Vietri

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The purpose of this research was to explore and compare current literature in drama therapy and resiliency theory and investigate the usefulness of integrating drama therapy techniques as an intervention for at risk youth. This paper serves to encourage drama therapy as a tool in working with at risk youth. The research presented argues the effectiveness of drama therapy being used with at risk youth to encourage resiliency and support at risk youth in developing into stronger, healthier, functioning and well-adjusted adults. Though some bias and limitations are present within the language of resiliency theory, looking at the work through …

Music As A Catalyst For Altered States Of Consciousness And Peak Experiences In The Treatment Of Depression, Anxiety, And Ptsd, Paul Battles

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract This paper investigates the therapeutic uses of altered states of consciousness (ASC) and peak experiences (PE) for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the ways in which music can be used to facilitate or enhance these experiences. ASC’s and PE’s can help uncover hidden or repressed unconscious material and potentially change the way an individual views and interacts with his or her world. In cases of people suffering from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these emotional, cognitive, and perceptual changes have been shown to have sometimes profound and long- lasting therapeutic effects, …

Expressive Arts To Promote Regulation And Empathy In The Classroom: A Community Engagement Project, Brittany Haley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The use of arts in regulating emotions through mindfulness and strengthening empathy through story-telling is reviewed in this capstone thesis. Learning how to regulate emotions while in childhood could be beneficial in providing success in other skill related areas such as inhibitory control and academic skill around reading or math. A story-telling and mindfulness method was developed for children in a school setting to learn to form relationships with each other. Insight was gained around the students’ own needs of emotion identification and expression as well as builds a sense of empathy. When a child has the ability to understand …

Beyond A Checklist: Development Of A Music Therapy Method For Use With A Population With Developmental Delays And Physical Disabilities, Andria Thomas

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Music therapy has long been used within school settings, particularly within special needs populations. Until the late 1970s students with special needs were usually institutionalized with the belief that they were incapable of continued learning. Since then, music therapy has become a useful clinical medium to assess and aid in treating speech deficits, various cognitive impairments, and physical rehabilitation. This capstone thesis centered on how individuals with significant cognitive and physical impairment interact, communicate, and participate in everyday situations, specifically within a music therapy group setting. Overall, the observations show the usefulness of assessment as a music therapy tool as …

The Efficacy Of Dance/Movement Therapy For Trauma Affected Youth: A Literature Review, Caitlyn Goggin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

As the quantity of trauma affected children rises so does the need for effective treatment interventions to resolve trauma symptomatology so children may resume successful development. Up until now, the most popular interventions to aid children who have experienced trauma, have been “top down approaches” such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Top down approaches focus on processing and altering thought content to alleviate symptoms of trauma. However, recent research indicates that top down approaches do not relieve the somatic and biological symptoms of trauma that account for a majority of trauma symptomology. The research of Duros & Crowley (2014) suggests …

Discovering How Dance/Movement Therapy And Movement-Based Therapies Aid Children Experiencing Embodied Grief, Laura Remillard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Current studies in children’s grief and bereavement suggest that creative arts therapies support children through their healing process after experiencing the loss of a loved one. However, there is not much research to support the use of dance/movement therapy (DMT) or movement-based therapies with this specific population. This literature review explored children’s grief and bereavement and focused specifically on embodied grief--how and where grief is held in the physical body. Furthermore, this literature review expanded more on the use of DMT and movement-based therapies with children experiencing embodied grief, as well as expanded upon body-based approaches to help these individuals …

Community Arts To Promote Cohesion And Gratitude In A Boston Based Children’S Hospital, Katherine Jordan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper explores the impact of a gratitude based community arts engagement project in an urban children’s hospital. The arts have the power to connect communities and practicing gratitude has protective mental health factors. This project connected these two ideas by implementing a hospital-wide gratitude tree project. Staff, patients, families, and visitors were engaged in adding their gratitude to the communal trees over a period of two months. The results of this investigation display the connecting power of the arts and explores the impact of environment in regard to an art enhanced hospital setting. The results of the study revealed …

School-Based Interventions And Art Therapy For Children Exposed To Trauma, Danielle Fearon

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review examined childhood trauma as a growing public health issue in the United States. Childhood trauma or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can lead to negative health outcomes. Adults who were exposed to trauma early in life may face challenges such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, intimate partner violence, incarceration, obesity, and low work performance. ACEs impact key areas of development when toxic levels of stress hormones are repeatedly released in the brain. Negative outcomes for traumatized children include struggling with social relationships, difficulty with emotional regulation, low academic achievement, and behavioral problems. Grounded in child-centered therapy and an …

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Adults: Analysis Of Their Relationship In Treatment And How Dance Movement Therapy Can Play A Role, Meaghan Elizabeth Cleary

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The relationship between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can be dynamic and challenging within treatment when the content of the fear for each disorder is intertwined. To explore the nature of this clinical relationship, a dance movement therapy method was created and implemented at a residential psychiatric facility for treatment-resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Dance movement therapy was used to examine overlapping symptomology, treatment approaches, and potential benefits in treatment outcomes. Additionally, the research addressed the promotion of bodily awareness, integration of emotional and physical states, a decrease in hyperarousal and anxiety states, and an increase in openness and …