Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Songwriting With Bereaved Adolescents: A Literature Review, Jordan Waters

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review explores and identifies essential aspects of songwriting with bereaved adolescents. First, it provides a description of grief and its processes with primary theoretical models. This is followed by a deeper look into adolescent grief, how it has been viewed in Western culture, along with and corresponding mental health needs. Expressive arts and music therapy approaches to grief and loss are explored, including a detailed of songwriting with bereaved adolescents. Improvisation and therapeutic relationship were found to be two crucial aspects to effective songwriting interventions with bereaved adolescents; person-centered approaches were used to develop authentic relationships with adolescent …

Dance/Movement Therapy And Nonverbal Communication Among Older Adults With Dementia: Development Of A Method, Diane Davis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder that affects many older adults. As it progresses, people slowly lose their verbal communication abilities. There is no known cure for dementia, and current treatments often fail to address the emotional and relational needs of the individual. This study builds on existing research by looking at how dance/movement therapy (DMT) may be an effective method for increasing nonverbal communication among the population living with dementia. DMT is a psychotherapy that prioritizes nonverbal modes of communication. DMT harnesses the power of movement and dance in relationship with clients. Two DMT sessions were conducted at an assisted …

Artful Journey: An Art Journaling Method For Adults With Physical Disabilities And Progressive Conditions, Madeline Ludtke

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

If given the opportunity to do so, all people have the potential to be creative and engage in artistic expression. In an environment of empathy and support, art therapy interventions can be adapted to be accessible for people of all abilities. There is limited research regarding the uses and possible benefits of art therapy for adults living with physical disabilities. To address this issue, this art therapy method looked at how a group of adults from a day program for people with progressive conditions responded to a series of art journaling interventions titled Artful Journey. Artful Journey was designed to …

Dance/Movement Therapy And A Positive Impact On Sense Of Self For Individuals Living With Dementia: Development Of A Method, Brittany Metrolis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Individuals living with dementia suffer from degenerative cognitive functioning, which in turn makes it difficult for language, emotions, social behavior, reasoning, balance, muscle function and automatic functions. The researcher reviewed literature available to better ground themselves in the importance of recognizing and expanding sense of self for those living with dementia. A dance/movement therapy group focused on prop work in a residential memory care facility with men and women living with different forms of dementia was formed. Verbal and non-verbal responses were recorded in regard to three therapeutic themes: body autonomy, prop work, and therapeutic touch. Results from the self-observations …

Moving With The Lgbtq+ Community In Grief And Elderhood: A Literature Review, Marea Newell

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is a therapeutic approach that incorporates the physical, emotional, and cognitive processes as a method for healing. Within the field of DMT, there has been limited research working with the elderly LGBTQ+ bereaved community. This research inquiry aims to expose this gap in the literature and offer approaches for future research based on the current literature in DMT and psychology. Through a review of literature conducted on google scholar and Lesley University’s library, relevant articles examining the experience of grief among elderly LGBTQ+ individuals, DMT among elderly and bereaved populations, and working with individuals who have experienced …

Exploring The Intersection Between Facial Movement, Physiology, And Emotional Regulation: Developing A Method For Children, Kimberly Parker

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

For children in therapy, emotional regulation is frequently a focus of treatment. Identifying, understanding, and managing emotions are all key tasks in one’s development. Developing these skills at a young age has proven to be beneficial for one’s overall wellbeing. Approaching emotional regulation through a dance/movement therapy lens requires a focus on not only one’s cognitive perception of emotion but one’s physical sensation of emotion. Dr. Paul Ekman’s Facial Action Coding System provides a means of systematically creating the sensation of emotion. An individual can experience a physiological response by creating universally identified facial expressions. This thesis introduces a method …

Dance/Movement Therapy Combined With Tai-Chi As A Regulation Strategy For Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Developing A Method, Brenna Meindersma

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis examines the question of how dance/movement therapy can be combined with tai-chi to support the emotional regulation of children who have experienced trauma. The paper examines a possible method that combines dance/movement therapy with tai-chi, grounded in the theories of Trudi Schoop. It highlights the application of tai-chi as a movement intervention that impacts participants ability to engage in treatment. Through the literature it was found that dance/movement therapy techniques of deep breathing, balance, and slow, rhythmic movements can impact emotional regulation. In combination with dance/movement therapy and tai-chi principles of internal awareness, body alignment, and …

Toward Holistic Mental Wellness: A Literature Review Of Mindfulness-Based And Focusing-Oriented Art Therapies, Lesley Vernon

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Modern day living, for all its benefits, is synonymous with record levels of stress. The mental health clinician’s role is to assist clients in accessing the skills and tools necessary to reduce and alleviate the symptoms of stress-induced anxiety. Mindfulness is emerging as a potent and effective tool to restore one’s state of well-being. Likewise, engaging in art therapy has been shown to reduce stress and foster resilience. Grounded in humanistic and existential theories, this literature review aimed to assess the impact and effectiveness of two intermodal holistic therapies, specifically mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) and focusing-oriented art therapy (FOAT). A …

Group Singing As A Tool To Bridge Communication Between People With Aphasia And Their Caregivers: A Literature Review, Allison Whiteside Pollard

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Aphasia is a devastating language disorder induced by stroke that is typically treated using Speech-Language therapy. Given aphasia’s adverse effects on an individual’s mental health status, familial structure, relationships, community involvement and general sense of self, the available treatment options should encompass interventions that target all of these areas. Music therapy is a convenient and easily accessible form of treatment for aphasia, ranging in individual and group applications. While the existing literature surrounding aphasia and music therapy is limited, conclusions can be made about its application in treating the aphasic patient as a whole, and not just their speech and …

Queering Clinical Spaces Through Gender Discussions Development Of A Method: Collage And Creative Storytelling At An Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, Kierstyn Brady

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A lack of queer acceptance in all areas of life has been shown in large-scale studies to exacerbate the mental health needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals. LGBTQIA+ youth are at a particular risk for suicidality, self-harm, low self-esteem, and other extreme adverse mental health outcomes if their support network does not accept their identity, according to research. Because LGBTQIA+ youth are at a greater risk of adverse mental health outcomes, it is essential for higher levels of mental health care to address the needs of the queer community. The exclusion of queer-inclusive subjects from the partial hospitalization program (PHP) group curriculum …

Teaching Coping Skills Through Altered Book Making With Adolescents In Acute Crisis Treatment: Development Of A Method, Sarah Rasmussen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis examines how altered book making can be used as a coping skill for adolescents between the ages of 13 to 18 in an acute setting within the Partial Hospitalization Program in northern Massachusetts. Altered books are mixed media art journals that can be a platform for coping with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, just as previous research has shown journals have been for many decades. Research has outlined that adolescents need an equal mix of structure and freedom and crave the idea of being insightful and involved in their own treatment. The group process is a unique format …

Finding A Middle Path: Using Expressive Arts Therapy To Engage Adolescents In Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Literature Review, Rebecca Miller

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This critical literature review explores the limited research on integrating expressive arts therapy (ExTH) with dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT, an evidence-based, third-wave cognitive-behavioral intervention, has been adapted for use with adolescents struggling with emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Yet, the didactic and almost rigid nature of DBT can feel more like a school lesson and less like therapy, making it difficult for adolescents to engage with the treatment. This is problematic as DBT's effectiveness requires the client to be fully committed and willing to engage in the therapy. This paper explores the literature on combining ExTH with DBT and conceptual …

Development Art Therapy Methods For Korean Immigrant Elders In An Independent Residential Community Setting, Wansu Kang

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper addresses how art therapy methods can improve life quality, empowerment, and well-being for immigrant elders in the US. Participants were first generation immigrants aged 71-86 years old (birth years ranging from 1935 to 1950) who moved to the USA 20-30 years ago. Art groups were held weekly in one-hour long sessions. Data included observation notes of the participants throughout the sessions, a review and discussion of the participants’ art responses, as well as closing interviews. This thesis found art therapy can a) allow immigrant elders to engage with peers and communities, relieving social isolation and loneliness, b) support …

Accessing The Ecosphere: An Indoor Nature-Based Community Expressive Arts Therapy (Exat) Exploration Project, Heather Powers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis posits that when humans connect and maintain a relationship with nature, their mental health improves. Humans have developed from and within Earth’s ecosystem, making our relationship with nature a necessary acknowledgement that the self is more than a corporeal body but is, in fact, embedded within the natural world around us. The current overwhelming dependence on electronic advancements and the development of urban areas have led people to become more distant in their relationship to nature, putting the overall well-being of the planet in jeopardy. This thesis points out that the more separation we feel from nature, …

Defining Best Practices For The Development And Implementation Of Music Therapist Verbal Processing Skills In Clinical Spaces, Rachel Quirbach

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Though verbal processing is a key component within many music therapy sessions, the current body of music therapy literature does not provide substantial guidelines outlining how music therapists are to cultivate verbal counseling skills and integrate verbal processing with their practices. This thesis critically reviews existing music therapy literature to uncover and integrate ideas from the field regarding the positioning, clinical relevance, and training of music therapist verbal processing skills in clinical practice. Information concerning the uses of verbal processing in music therapy practice, the relationship between the modalities of music therapy and verbal counseling, and the interplay of theoretical …

Building Community: A School-Based Art Reflection Method For Newcomer Students During Covid-19, Kate Johnson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Adolescent students who migrated during the COVID-19 pandemic are especially vulnerable to negative mental health outcomes. Research supports that school-based services provide protective resources to newcomer students that may be inaccessible outside of public-school settings. Expressive art therapies are some of the most successful interventions used with newcomer students, and the context of the pandemic offers a new opportunity to study the benefits of arts-based methods within their classrooms. For adolescents navigating cultural adjustment in the midst of a pandemic, trauma-informed research signals that community-building is a key strategy for protecting students from negative mental health symptoms. Art and craft …

A Group Music Therapy Method To Promote Mentalization Skills In Clients With Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Lisa Riggs Hobbs

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

This paper investigates the development of a group music therapy method by adapting elements of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) to help clients with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). A prominent characteristic of NPD is a deficiency in empathy. The fostering of empathy and emotional awareness forms the basis of MBT. Music therapy offers a means to explore these skills on a nonverbal level. This work is even more impactful in a group setting. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of literature specific to music therapy and NPD. Furthermore, despite the availability of writings separately concerning NPD, MBT, group therapy, and music therapy, …

Storytelling And Narrative Therapy Through Art Among Refugee Children: A Literature Review, Haley E. Lansing

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review introduces the importance of art therapy, storytelling, and narrative therapy for refugee children. While familiarizing themselves with a new habitat and way of living, this population battles being a minority, an immigrant, learning a new culture and language, and social-economic difficulties. This literature review brings to light the challenges and difficulties children face within their own trauma and anxiety. The passing on of trauma generationally, historically, culturally, or genetically is common, as is parents’ countertransference. Re-adaptation is essential for children who experience trauma, especially when escaping war. Childhood trauma affects the future adult state of mind. This …

The Implications Of Stillness In Dance/Movement Therapy And Its Significance In The Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Literature Review, Fernanda Greco Quentel

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There is a large body of research showing that Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is an effective method for treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). However, many individuals still might not improve after exposure and other behavioral approaches. Current research has explored the role of interoception in OCD and highlighted the need for addressing physiological experiences in treatment. Research shows that the population with OCD might experience more distress than the general population when engaging in states of rest (Gehrt et al., 2020). This literature review explored how stillness in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) could be conductive in increasing an individual’s …

Advancing A Mixed Methods Approach To An Evidence Based Practice In Drama Therapy: A Literature Review, Travis Ciempa

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The present literature review investigates the history, roles, strengths, and limitations of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches within the research process. The goal of this review is to conclude whether a mixed methods approach can be utilized to support drama therapy in becoming an evidence-based practice. Current trends in drama therapy research demonstrate a need for more empirical investigations within the field. This is accompanied by the added competitive nature and standards of professions within healthcare. As such, this literature review explores future recommendations for research practices within drama therapy, including utilizing a mixed methods approach, manualization in drama …

How Clay In Group Art Therapy Helps Female Veterans Maintain Well-Being: Development Of Methods, Sooho Park

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Using clay in art therapy has emerged as an evidence-based therapeutic approach to enable treatment for people with anxiety. While clay in art therapy has been researched and proven to be highly effective with children, there is limited research on the benefit for the population of female veterans. Therefore, this study examines the possibility of how clay in art therapy helps female veterans to reduce anxiety and maintain their well-being at Veterans Affairs Hospital (VAH). Three female veterans were engaged in weekly intervention for six weeks through both in-person and online sessions. Results indicate participants experienced beneficial changes in anxiety …

Preparing For An Unpredictable Future: A Community Engagement Project, Rebecca Coates-Finke

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The COVID-19 Pandemic has upended lives across the world for the past two years, and it is hard for anyone to say if or when life will return to what we may have called “normal.” Communities must learn how to support and protect one another in rapidly changing circumstances, while holding space for the collective trauma and grief of this pandemic. In this thesis, there is a review of literature regarding trauma, collective healing within communities and families, and COVID’s impact on Jewish communities, with a particular focus on drama therapy. This is followed by a description of a workshop …

Examining The Role And Benefits Of Dmt In Adults With Down Syndrome: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Melissa Briggs

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This critical literature review investigates the use of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a form of treatment for adults diagnosed with Down syndrome (DS). It examines how DMT can help adults with DS achieve higher functioning, enhanced well-being, and realize a greater sense of self-identity. The existing literature includes research studies, peer-reviewed articles, juried journals, theses, and dissertations which address how DMT has been used alone or in conjunction with other expressive therapies, to improve the overall quality of life in adults with DS. The material reviewed is organized according to the outcomes and benefits conferred upon adults with DS who …

Using Animal As Metaphor In Drama Therapy With Psychiatric Patients In An Intensive Outpatient Program Group Therapy Session: An Intervention, Juliana Fort

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Drama therapy may be uniquely suited to help people with mental illness who have negative beliefs about what it means to be mentally ill. It focuses on helping the individual expand their sense of what a person with mental illness can be, as well as their awareness of the other roles they may play in their lives. In the current study, the author developed a drama therapy intervention for psychiatric patients in an intensive outpatient program (IOP). The intervention uses pre-made cards that depict images of various animals. During the intervention, the participants were asked to discuss how they …

Creative And Expressive Arts Therapy In Motivational Interviewing, Mary Hunt

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The practices of Creative Arts Therapies (CATs), Expressive Arts Therapy (EATs), and Motivational Interviewing (MI) are regarded as profoundly impactful for use in mental health professions. While there is extensive literature supporting the benefits of the practices individually, research to date on combining CATs or EATs with MI is limited. This Capstone investigates the combination of the fields, including research linking MI to the fields under the CATs umbrella of art, dance/movement, drama, and music therapies. The key elements of each practice are defined, and their overlapping similarities are identified, examples of complementary CATs interventions to the practice of MI …

Intermodal Transfers Offer Creative Recovery Options From Postpartum Depression: A Critical Literature Review With Recommendations For Treatment, Sarah Swedlow

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Postpartum depression (PPD) is considered as a universal health epidemic, affecting between 10-20% of mothers. Despite this high prevalence rate, symptoms of PPD often go overlooked and underdiagnosed in physical and mental healthcare due to a lack of research and awareness. The expressive therapies have introduced creative treatment options for PPD; however the modalities are often kept separate. Intermodal transfers, informed by the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC), can provide effective and accessible benefits to mothers with PPD. This literature review critically analyzes the efficacy of intermodal transfers in the treatment of PPD. The findings show that a multimodal approach is …

Building Nature: A Nature-Based Drama Therapy Method In An Urban Program, Courtney Bennett Mcduffee

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Finding a mental health center that fits the needs of an individual can take time. Some individuals must travel to different states and enter large metropolises to find the specific type of support they need for their mental health journey. This can mean that for extended periods of time, as individuals go through residential treatment, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and/or intensive outpatient programs (IOP), they can not only find themselves in a completely new community, but also entirely removed from nature. For this reason, my thesis focused on creating a method to reconnect humans ‘trapped’ in an urban setting with …

Patient-Drama: A Literature Review Of Simulated Patient Experiences In Medical Education And Training, Shelby Davis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Simulated patient experiences are commonly used in medical education and training. These experiences have the benefit of training students in real-world environments without risks to real patients. However, these forms of training can be expensive to implement. Additionally, there may be room to improve their effectiveness for training medical providers in humanistic skills like empathy and relationship building. These experiences can be considered dramatic encounters with the incorporation of dramatic elements like role, story, and improvisation. Given the intentional use of drama in these simulated patient experiences, it can be argued that the definition of drama therapy broadly applies to …

Combining Non-Traditional Therapeutic Competencies With Dance/Movement Therapy In Response To Client Reactivity: The Development Of A Method, Nicole Koontz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Individuals with reactive attachment disorder present as guarded towards therapeutic care and respond passively to treatment or become combative and aggressive. Previous body-based interventions for individuals with reactive attachment disorder included dangerous and unethical approaches that led to traumatization, distrust, and even death. Historical attachment therapies focused on making the client feel powerless and hopeless to accept care rather than practitioners adjusting to individualized client-centered care. A dance/movement therapy-informed method was developed to provide a nonthreatening therapeutic space to foster genuine participation for clients who present with reactivity towards treatment. The method was implemented over the course of seven weeks …

Development Of A Method - All In The “Letters”: Exploring The Relationship Between Expressive Arts Therapy And The Grieving Process With Adolescents, Robby Auld

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There are more than 5.3 million bereaved youth in the United States (Judi’s House/JAG Institute & The New York Life Foundation, 2022), a number that is only growing. Finding effective therapeutic interventions for bereaved youth is an ethical imperative. This capstone thesis considers the relationship between expressive therapies and bereavement work with adolescents, specifically the use of expressive arts therapy. Grief theories are explored in a literature review, along with a survey of existing empirical research conducted using expressive therapies with bereaved populations. Few empirical studies have focused on expressive arts therapy and bereavement work with adolescents, an observation which …