Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Using A New Tea And Dialogue Mindfulness Practice (T&D) To Combat Community Dwelling Older Adults' Risks From Social Isolation, Kathleen Fink

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Much sound research indicates that the significant negative health impacts associated with social isolation affect increasing numbers of older adults. Thus, addressing their social isolation could be an effective means to support older adults’ wellbeing while reducing demands on limited healthcare resources. The relative effectiveness of various interventions to address older adults’ social isolation is not clear. This thesis proposes using a new relational mindfulness practice, Tea and Dialogue (T&D), that combines elements of Japanese tea ceremony and Insight Dialogue developed by Gregory Kramer. Videos of older adults engaging in variations of T&D show trusting connection indicated by nonverbal social …

Mindfulness And The Need To Minimize The Risk Of Harm: A Proposal To Implement And Enforce Standards For Secular Mindfulness Practice, Michael Falick

Mindfulness Studies Theses

While Western mindfulness practice is indeed beneficial for many participants, the research now clearly demonstrates that for some meditators, there are attendant potential risks. These potential risks to practitioners require a level of care from those individuals (and corporations) that disseminate mindfulness practice. Historically, in traditional Buddhist practice, mindfulness was but one of the eight factors on the Noble Eightfold Path. An important component of traditional practice strongly relies on ethics in the delivery of the practice. A formalized standard of care for modern, secular mindfulness practices, and a method to implement and enforce that standard, will greatly enhance safety …

Bridging The Gap: Exploring Indian Classical Dances As A Source Of Dance/Movement Therapy, A Literature Review., Ruta Pai

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Indian Classical Dances are a mirror of the traditional culture in India and therefore the people in India find it easy to connect with them. These dances involve a combination of body movements, gestures and facial expressions to portray certain emotions and feelings. There are seven major Indian Classical Dances- Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Mohiniattam. These dances possess three common aspects - Natya, Nritta and, Nritya. These aspects include several other elements which are at the core of these dances. This literature review focuses on three of those primary elements – Abhinaya, Gestures and Navarasas because they …

Nature As Metaphor In School Art Therapy: Development Of A Group Method, Jordan Struckman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This group method was developed to observe the impact of bringing nature materials indoors to be utilized in school art therapy sessions. Little research exists on the impacts of natural materials being used therapeutically and expressively in a school setting. This study was conducted throughout the course of one week of therapeutic homeroom with three female high school students aged 15-17. Sand, shells, leaves, flowers, seaweed, sea grapes, driftwood, prickly seeds, and berries were gathered from a beach pathway by the researcher and presented in organized piles on a large classroom table. Students responded to a different prompt for four …

Dance/Movement Therapy And Its Implications In A Studio-Based Dance Program: A Community Engagement Project, Akeila Sharp

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescent females often struggle with emotional regulation, developing relationships, and poor body image. Research indicates that taking dance classes or participating in dance movement therapy sessions can be an effective technique to improve in these areas. However, there is limited research on the use of both in one setting. Therefore, this capstone explored the impacts of dance on adolescent females and the implications of dance/movement therapy (DMT) in a studio-based dance program. The objective of this project was to examine how restructuring a dance class using DMT interventions could improve problem areas such as low self-esteem, lack of communication skills, …

Mapping The Dissociated Body, Elizabeth Hough

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis explored the use of body mapping and body scans as a tool for assessing and tracking somatic dissociation and embodiment. The researcher utilized a clientcentered approach and mindfulness-based interventions and theory to ground the work with the clients. While there were a variety of questionnaire-based tools for assessing dissociation with clients, many of them were lacking in the somatic component of dissociation. The available assessments were also exclusively self-reported and written or verbal, which had the potential to result in biased reporting. Clients may have also struggled to identify their level of somatic dissociation due to an …

Group Songwriting Process Of Adults With Mental Illness And Trauma, Corinne Waters

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The field of music therapy is a growing community and the research reflects that. However, when looking at some of the different facets of music therapy – like songwriting and groups – it is discovered that there needs to be more research there. When looking at music therapy and songwriting groups in particular, there is also the need for studies on how songwriting interventions impact a group over the course of a longer time period. As a result, this capstone thesis explored the effects of group songwriting on adults with mental illness and trauma in a day treatment setting over …

Abstract Art And Its Effects On Stress In High School Students: Development Of A Method, Shera Weintraub

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Stress in schools has become an increasing problem within the United States. Adolescents struggle with high rates and high levels of anxiety due to many pressures surrounding them, especially expectations from school. Due to their growing brains, stress and anxiety during this time can affect future functioning. It is crucial that teens learn ways to manage stress levels now, so they can develop healthy coping skills that can continue into adulthood. There has been plenty of research on art therapy and its benefits for mental health in this population. This study investigates the effects of abstract art on stress …

Intermodal Art Method To Explore Personal And Cultural Narratives, Zoe Boucher

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this capstone thesis, art-based research (ABR) is examined through a critical, intersectional perspective to explore how it can be used as a method to reveal areas that impact transference and countertransference and thus to support supervision and emerging clinical practice. This heuristic study explored the benefits of poetry and response art within the home setting of a black biracial, Guadeloupean American, female-identifying cisgender individual, 31 years of age. Through qualitative, arts-based research, data was collected in the form of blackout poetry, painting, and journaling. A thematic analysis of the visual and textual data sources revealed three themes: an intermodal …

Beyond Resistance And Resilience: The Altered Book In Adolescent And Young Adult Complex Trauma Recovery, A Method, Colleen Mann-Buxton

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The method detailed in this paper was developed to explore the potential positive impacts altered bookmaking could have on adolescents and young adults with complex trauma histories. The paper describes the literature supporting the use of art therapy in trauma treatment and using altered books with adolescents to explore identity and assist in treating depression and anxiety. Trauma is typically not communicated linearly or with words; art therapy is effective in treating individuals with trauma, as the modality allows the client to communicate symbolically. By externalizing the story onto an object, a book, clients create space from their thoughts, memories, …

Lyric Analysis And Songwriting With Adolescent’S Processing Complex Trauma, Peyton Mayzel

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This study examines how lyric analysis and songwriting can aid adolescents processing complex developmental traumas. The use of music, lyric analysis, and songwriting can provide a space for adolescents to express themselves and process their struggles they have encountered in their lives. Music, lyric analysis, and songwriting can also be used as a way for adolescents to build their self-identity and help them to make important life decisions. These concepts are all related to the attachment, self-regulation, and competency (ARC) model created by Blaustein & Kinniburgh in 2005. This model is used in treatment with children and adolescents who have …

Hands On: Sexual Satisfaction, Communication, And Clay-Work, Courtney Kim Morgan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The topics of sexual satisfaction, communication, and behaving communally towards each other piques the interest of lay people and academics alike. Yet, what is less researched is the potential of art making with clay to influence sexual communication and satisfaction. The innate physicality of (co-) creating has the potential to increase our attunement with our own and each other’s bodies. This in turn has the possibility to directly affect sexual satisfaction and communication. Through the creation of a method and its implementation with three couples and one individual, presented as case studies, this thesis investigates clay-work’s ability to influence sexual …

Subverting The Narrative: Addressing Gaps In The Medical Model Of Mental Health Through Expressive Arts And Critical Race Feminism Paradigms, Sofiya Kostareva

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper discusses the problematic theoretical underpinnings of the medical model of mental health, first examining the historical development of the mental health field. Reviewing literature on the paradigms of expressive arts therapy, critical race feminism, and the medical model of mental health, the author argues how systemic oppression in such forms as racism, classism and ableism contribute to the issues of mental health accessibility for individuals who possess historically marginalized identities in the United States. The paper concludes with a claim around expressive arts therapy’s capacity toward addressing the theoretical challenges in providing meaningful intersectional care toward diverse populations …

Return To An Integrated Self: Using Dance/Movement Therapy With Survivors Of Juvenile Human Sex Trafficking, A Literature Review, Lauren Zampieri

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

As Juvenile Sex Trafficking (JST) has gained more attention over the past few decades, more attention has also been given to the treatment of the survivors. While there has been significant research regarding treatment of JST survivors and the subsequent symptoms that come with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to sexual trauma, little attention has been given to the re-integration process of survivors of JST. Reintegration will include an understanding of intrapersonal emotions, processing the dissociative subtype of PTSD, rebuilding trust of self and others, and re-forming interpersonal relationships post-trauma. Through practice, there have been promising results from the use …

Argo Ergo Sum - I Perform, Therefore I Am: An Art-Based Community Engagement Project, Emily Eckel

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This community engagement project set out to explore how the musicianship identity impacts a musician’s overall sense of self through participation in a mental health focused community orchestra. Currently, in the field of music therapy there is little emphasis on using orchestral music in active music making or connections between music and musicianship identity. This researcher combined the theories of community music therapy and resource-oriented music therapy to develop approaches to this investigation. Phase one consisted of researcher journaling and visual art making prior to and following orchestra rehearsals and one concert. Phase two consisted of a group mandala with …

A Holistic Approach To Neuro-Informed Music Therapy For Acute Tbi Rehabilitation, Micaela Connelly

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone project is the development of a holistic neuro-informed method of music therapy for acute rehabilitation from traumatic brain injury. This method is grounded in research in the fields of neuroscience and neurochemistry and has been developed and implemented through the lens of a holistic patient centered theory of music therapy. The review of literature focuses on previous research in neuroscience, neurochemistry, neurologic music therapy, medical music therapy and the overall relationship between music and the brain. The method was explored using one 17-year-old female participant at a Boston area children’s hospital recovering from traumatic brain injury. The patient’s …

What Was Lost: How Dance/Movement Therapy Can Support The Retention And Repair Of Cognitive Abilities In Cancer Patients, A Literature Review, Sarah E. Menser

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review examines research surrounding the effects of chemotherapy on cognitive abilities alongside methods of increasing cognitive functioning throughout treatment. Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is seen in many patients undergoing chemotherapy yet has had little attention in cancer research. However, research that has been performed shows that by increasing physical activity during chemotherapy often results in improved cognitive abilities as well as increasing individual’s memory, focus, and multi-tasking abilities. With this connection between physical exercise and cognitive functioning, this author is interested in investigating the idea that dance/movement therapy can assist in the recovery and repair of residual cognitive …

Group Art Processing For Young Adults Experiencing Complex Bereavement: A Literature Review, Jaran L. Stallbaum

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review distinguished group arts processing as a successful approach to treating clinically diagnosed bereavement, specifically as a sustainable support in the developmental milestones of young adults. Expressive arts therapy interventions were examined as a successful treatment option to sustain expected age appropriate developmental milestones. Current literature indicated that the expansion from cyclical grief theory has opened up multiple opportunities for more dimensional and art inclusive bereavement supports. Peer-support models and age specific processing groups have an evidenced-based presence in service offerings for this age range. Through expressive therapy directives that focus on objectives of meaning making, memorializing, and …

How Art Can Be Used To Grieve And Heal: Making Altered Books With Parentally Bereaved Adolescents, Samantha Adams

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Death is a natural and inevitable part of life. The grief response to death is also natural, yet children’s grief is often overlooked. Many believe that children are not capable of grief because their brains are still developing or that they do not understand what death is and therefore cannot grieve. It is true that a child will grieve differently than an adult, but they still experience grief. This paper focused on children and adolescents who have experienced the death of a parent and how they use art to grieve in a healthy way. Existing research supports the benefits of …

Connecting To The Self: Increasing Self-Awareness In Children With Asd, Development Of A Method, Madison Janke

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dance/movement therapy is a popular method utilized with the autism spectrum population due to its focus on increasing social skills, developing relationships, improving function, increasing positive body image, and expanding movement repertoire. The literature indicated that mirroring is the most common and most utilized DMT intervention for this population, but it provided minimal alternative dance/movement therapy interventions. The dance/movement therapy method implemented through this research attempted to provide an alternative to mirroring through the creation of a body outline. This method was developed through the theoretical framework of relational-cultural theory, emphasizing the impact that relationships can have on the shaping …

Using Dance/Movement As A Part Of A Self-Care Routine To Alleviate Stress In Parents And/Or Caregivers Of Children With Autism, Lori Reaves

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Parents and caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have more stress than parents of neurotypical children (Foster, Swain, and Scarpa, 2018). There is minimal research published exploring the effects of dance movement therapy (DMT) on stress reduction with parents or caregivers of children with ASD. This researcher explored the use of other modalities in studies involving parental and/or caregiver stress. Taking care of one’s self is important but, can be difficult for many people, especially parents and caregivers of children with autism. Movement is our first means of communication and plays an intricate part in our ability to …

Engagement And The Therapeutic Process In Art Therapy With Adolescent Boys In Residential Care: A Literature Review, Lauren Gallagher

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Current treatments for youth in residential treatment incorporate aspects of behavioral based and psych-educational based approaches with point and level systems, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychiatric services, and psychopharmacological treatment. However, research is lacking on improving the agency, motivation, and motivating factors of the therapeutic process for children in residential settings, specifically adolescent boys. Art therapy with a relational and person-centered focus may be an influential alternative treatment to motivate and engage this population. Within this body of research, the areas of art therapy, trauma-informed practice, relational-cultural theory, person-centered approaches, and the C.A.R.E. model are explored as treatment methodologies with adolescent …

Theatre Crawl: A Series Of Community Engagement Projects, Anna Rich

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis will focus on Theatre Crawl, a devised and immersive theatre experience grounded in the techniques of drama therapy. Beginning as a creative outlet for drama therapy graduate students at Lesley University, Theatre Crawl has provided performance opportunities for students to exercise the creative and theatrical skills which initially brought many of them to the field of drama therapy. From April 2018 to January 2020, four Theatre Crawl events have been facilitated. All events originated from the belief that providing opportunities for drama therapists to engage in personal art-making is an essential practice for the field of drama therapy …

Development Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Informed Art Therapy Method For Adults With Psychiatric Diagnoses In A Partial Hospitalization Program, Lauren Muller

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Mindfulness based approaches as well as alternative forms of treatment have widely been introduced into the partial hospitalization setting. While the inclusion of art therapy allows individuals to engaged with a tactile experience, DBT and mindfulness informs the individual of concrete skills and coping strategies to be directly applied in the creative space. There has been ample research conducted on the use of DBT in a partial hospital setting, however there is a lack of research on the inclusion of DBT informed art therapy in the same setting. However, small scale phenomenological research has been conducted on the effectiveness of …

Reclaiming Metaphor; Myths, Monsters, And Narratives With Lgbtq+ Adolescents In Drama Therapy, Christina Dennis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper will present a synthesis of existing available research on the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ adolescent community within the field of drama therapy with a specific focus on Narradrama and Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth approach to mythology. The literature review of these subjects will be aimed at the future use of Monomyth in conjunction with Narradrama with LGBTQ+ adolescents who are experiencing identity issues and other crises associated with their status as members of the queer community. This literature review will aim to create a base of collated research to aid in future method interventions using mythology and heightened …

Purposeful Play: A Literature Review Of Play Therapy And Projective Techniques Of Drama Therapy, Rachel Rudel

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Both play therapy and drama therapy are forms of expressive arts therapies that utilize storytelling, imagination, and play to promote healing through a therapeutic lens. Throughout history, both fields have interacted with projection through both assessment, research, and storytelling. In drama therapy, the movement from classification of expressive techniques (Lindzey, 1959) to the concept of ‘projective techniques’ is distinctive due to its use of objects such as miniatures and masks to project story (Dunne, 2009). This literature review will explore theories of play therapy and core processes of drama therapy while discussing the similarities and differences of how they interact …

Psyche And Planet: Multiplicity Of Systems Mirroring Modes Of Being And Bonding Via Eco Arts Therapeutic Practices, Amber Nolli

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Through discerning the art of life, this thesis is a review of literature which looks at how psyche and planet processing systems mirror one another and merge through eco arts therapeutic practices. It is an inquiry into philosophic ideas behind the nature of sensibility, perceptibility, and experience. As art mirrors the self and nature mirrors the self, a twofold entry-point opens, where one travels into accordance with all planes of consciousness. The literature investigates relationships amongst the arts, science, biology, and interspecies and ecological sentience to address collective conditions of deception, displacement, etc. It examines how directing attention to self …

Warming Up To Dance/Movement Therapy Through Humor, Amanda E. Ouimette

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis examined the effects humor has on a Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) warm-up intervention in increasing engagement for individuals in a grief setting who are new to DMT practices. Studies have demonstrated the positive effects humor has on individuals’ sense of comfort and there were notable similarities with the benefits of DMT. The healing advantages of humor were thoroughly studied and the comedic principle of the “Rule of Threes” was chosen and translated into a movement warm-up intervention to create a space that allowed for humor and laughter. This humor strategy for the warm-up intervention was used in a group …

The Cycle Continues: The Effects Of Intergenerational Trauma On The Sense Of Self And The Healing Opportunities Of Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review, Nora Buonagurio

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis illuminates the far-reaching impact of intergenerational trauma on the sense of self, and the implications for dance/movement therapy in healing from intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational trauma (otherwise known as transgenerational trauma, historical trauma, and cultural trauma) is trauma that is passed down from generation to generation. Future generations experience their ancestors’ traumatic experiences as if it were their own, hijacking their sense of self and identity. Sense of self will be defined as feeling secure in who you are—sense of identity, personality, family background, aspirations, and semblance of having control in your life. Intergenerational trauma presents unique challenges …

The Freedom To Move: Dance/Movement Therapy And Survivors Of Trafficking - An Evolving Practice, Rebecca Richardson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Human/Sex trafficking is the use of force or coercion for the purpose of exploiting humans (mainly women) for sex or labor. Consequences of being trafficked include psychological and physical symptoms that may hinder the survivors for the rest of their life if not treated. Survivors of human trafficking are infrequently researched and have limited evidence-based methods of treatment. Even fewer studies have been conducted involving the use of dance/movement therapy with survivors of trafficking. dance/movement therapy is vital to treatment because of its focus on integrating the body with the mind. In this literature review I discuss the effects …