Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Implementing A Coatt Inspired Process To Support Adolescents And Young Adults With Neurodevelopmental Disorders In Transition: Development Of A Method, Andromeda Faber

Expressive Therapies Theses

This capstone thesis project explored the use of a Coactive Therapeutic Theatre (CoATT) inspired process with folks who have neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) as they transitioned out of the high level of care at their therapeutic school into a lower level of care in college and the workforce. CoATT is a recovery-based model that is time bound as the step between a higher level of care and a lower level of care. This project culminated in a CoATT inspired transition-based process to meet the needs of the neurodiverse population. Themes that were identified from this method included joy, resilience, taboo, tolerating …

Exploring Expressive Arts Journaling For Older Adults In A Psychiatric Hospital Using Mindfulness, Self-Compassion And Open Studio, Lesley Rodriguez

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis presents the findings of an expressive arts therapy group intervention for adults in a geriatric unit of a psychiatric hospital in the greater Boston area.  The twice weekly, 6-week intervention aimed to explore the central question of what occurs when a method of expressive arts journaling is introduced to older adults for symptom management of anxiety and mood disorders during their hospital stay. Through arts-based research and participant feedback, this capstone thesis charts the group experiences. The MOSS Visual Journaling model is named after its domains; Mindfulness, Open-studio, Story-telling, and Self-compassion. Themes generated through thematic analysis of the …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Person-Centered Treatment For Alzheimer’S Disease And Dementia Through Physical, Social, And Sensory Elements: A Literature Review, Margaret Carson Thatcher

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the use of dance/movement therapy as treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The literature review covers dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, current and emerging approaches to treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, dance/movement therapy, and dance/movement therapy for individuals with dementia. The theme of dance/movement therapy as a person- centered treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is explored. The efficacy and outcomes of dance/movement therapy with the population are examined. Key components of dance/movement therapy with this population emerged. These elements, social, physical, and sensory, are described and connected to person-centered outcomes for treatment. Applications for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and …

Between Cultures: An Expressive Arts Community Engagement Project On Identity, Belonging, And Cultural Transition Among International Students, Shilpa Ivaturi

Expressive Therapies Theses

International students navigating cultural transition often experience disruptions not only in social adjustment but also in their sense of identity, belonging, and meaning-making. Grounded in expressive arts therapy, cross-cultural psychology, and mythopoetic frameworks of transformation, this thesis explores how creative processes can support international students in reflecting on and integrating their evolving identities during periods of cultural transition. A four-hour trauma-informed expressive arts workshop, structured around the Hero’s Journey arc of departure, initiation, and return, was facilitated across two sessions at a university in the northeastern United States. Seven international students from diverse cultural backgrounds engaged in multimodal practices including …

From Regulation To Meaning-Making: An Integrative Literature Review Of Sensory Integration And Drama Therapy In Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice, Kerry Richmond

Expressive Therapies Theses

This integrative literature review examines the relationship between drama therapy core processes and sensory integration theory in supporting adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences. Existing literature indicates that sensory integration interventions support regulation and functional engagement, while drama therapy processes—embodiment, role, dramatic projection, and engagement with dramatic reality—facilitate relational interaction and expressive capacity. Grounded in neurodiversity, sensory integration, and drama therapy frameworks, this review situates sensory processing as a key component of regulation, social participation, and emotional development.

An integrative review methodology was used to synthesize interdisciplinary literature from occupational therapy, psychology, and drama therapy. Peer-reviewed sources were systematically identified, reviewed in …

Embodied Identity In Dementia: Art Therapy As A Pathway To Selfhood, Sarah E. Southwick

Expressive Therapies Theses

Older adults living with dementia have often been erroneously perceived as inhabiting a singular lived experience marked by degeneration in cognitive functioning and considerable losses in self-identity. There is substantial literature to suggest that multisensory stimulation and art therapy are well-positioned as conduits for self-expression. However, a gap exists related to artistic media and how they may be implemented and tailored for people with dementia. This capstone explores the paradigm of selfhood as a subjective essence of being that may be accessed through creative expression and sensory engagement. Arts-based directives were implemented through a person-centered expressive arts therapy framework. Two …

Ecodramatherapy To Support Recovery From Religious And Spiritual Trauma, Ashton Eleazer

Expressive Therapies Theses

Religious and spiritual (R/S) trauma is an often unrecognized form of complex trauma that results from religious beliefs, practices, or experiences that fracture survivors’ connection to the self, the body, meaning, safety, and community. An estimated 27-33% of U.S. adults are affected (Slade et al., 2023). R/S trauma shares features with complex PTSD and Developmental Trauma Disorder, but also includes moral injury, existential questioning, communal, and embodied shame. This literature review examines the potential of ecodramatherapy, a combined approach of drama therapy and ecotherapy, to support reconnection and recovery in survivors of R/S trauma. A targeted review of peer-reviewed literature …

Exploring The Potential For Meaning-Making In Expressive Art Therapies Interventions In Treatment Of Complicated Grief For Gun Homicide Survivors: A Literature Review, Ash Landrein

Expressive Therapies Theses

Research shows that the violent nature of homicide and the extreme lethality of firearms in conflict lead to increased psychological impairment for survivors and communities affected. Black and Latinx communities are disproportionately affected by gun violence, yet are historically underresearched and underserved. Social constraints and systemic negligence complicate and stigmatize the bereavement process. This literature review examined culturally relevant grief practices, theories and components of meaning-making (MM) post-loss, and Expressive arts interventions for facilitating meaning, safety, and reconnection for survivors, through an intersection of race, ethnicity, gender, and age. Cumulative research shows that MM can help individuals experiencing complicated grief …

Perfectly Messy, Right-Ish, And Good Enough: A Conceptual Synthesis Of Developmental Transformations (Dvt) As A Therapeutic Approach To Perfectionism, Lauren O. Boyd

Expressive Therapies Theses

This conceptual synthesis of the literature examines the relationship between pathological and non-pathological yet distressing perfectionism as well as play and improvisation in the context of Developmental Transformations (DvT) as a therapeutic intervention. With the support of research operationalizing perfectionism and its impacts on daily functioning, a connection between increasing cognitive flexibility and uncertainty tolerance is explored through the lenses of improvisation, dramatic play, and DvT. Through critical analyses, supporting literature has been explored by noting both implications and limitations of each study. Perfectionism, dramatic play, improvisation, and Developmental Transformations (DvT) are explored independently before an intersection is proposed and …

Person, Process, And Between: Art Therapy Through The Lens Of Transformative Learning Theory, Lacy Silas

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis uses the lens of transformative learning theory to explore the features and processes observed in art therapy, as no unique framework currently exists. The literature explores the tenets of transformative learning theory, person-centered therapy, and present documentation of the art therapy process. The study observes the art therapy process with three clients at a private therapy practice over the course of four months. The research has three main findings: 1) shared facets of art therapy and transformative learning, 2) transformative learning phases observed in art therapy, and 3) unique qualities of the art therapy process. The findings demonstrate …

Becoming A Body-Centered Psychotherapist: Developing A Reflective Method For Navigating Dual Professional Identity In Dance/Movement Therapy Training, Emma Rose Barbosa

Expressive Therapies Theses

The field of mental health counseling frequently prioritizes verbal modalities, often leaving dance/movement therapists (DMTs) in training to navigate clinical environments that diverge from their primary movement-first modality. Without adequate preparation for this tension, emerging DMTs risk losing access to their primary treatment modality at a critical stage of professional development. The literature review highlights the mind-body connection as a theoretical foundation for somatic integration in clinical practice, examines the development of the internal witness through authentic movement practice, and explores selected current perspectives on DMT within individual counseling contexts. To investigate further themes, a heuristic study was conducted during …

Arts-Based Violence Prevention For Youth: A Literature Review, Amber Lynn Isaac

Expressive Therapies Theses

This narrative literature review examines arts-based approaches to violence prevention and trauma-related support among school-aged children and adolescents in school and community settings. Violence is conceptualized as both interpersonal and structural, encompassing physical, emotional, relational, and systemic harms that arise through unequal access to safety, opportunity, and resources. The review then explores how these conditions increase vulnerability to trauma exposure, particularly among youth in marginalized and underserved communities, and considers the psychological impacts of violence on youth development. Centering the resilience of children and adolescents through relational strengths, adaptive coping strategies, and creative capacities, this review then examines the benefits …

Exploring Immigration-Related Trauma With Trauma-Informed, Culturally Relevant Creative Processes, Alexandra Gadway

Expressive Therapies Theses

The Latinx population is one of the fastest growing racial and ethnic groups in the United States, yet there is still a great need for culturally appropriate training tools and screenings to support folks experiencing immigration-related trauma. This study explores ways art therapy can foster connection and empowerment for a Latinx child impacted by immigration-related post-traumatic stress, if only the field considers expanding its culturally relevant and trauma-informed creative-based processes. Newer literature in trauma-informed expressive therapies suggests a bottom-up approach, wherein tapping into the kinesthetic and sensory levels of the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) allows us to process through movement, …

From Worry To Invention: Developing The Lunch Bunch As A Multimodal Expressive Arts Model For Regulation, Collaboration, And Peer Connection In Elementary Schools, Pascale Lauren Mimran-Ugbabe

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis documents the development of the Multimodal Expressive Arts Lunch Bunch, a small group intervention for elementary students delivered during the school lunch period at a public elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts. Grounded in multimodal expressive arts therapy, intermodal transfer theory, polyvagal-informed co-regulation, and principles of externalization, the intervention was designed as a low-barrier creative support group accessible regardless of diagnosis, referral status, or family pursuit of clinical services. Two cohorts of teacher-nominated students, one group of fourth-grade girls and one mixed-gender third-grade group, participated in a sequenced arc moving from worry externalization through collaborative invention, prototype construction, and …

Finding Direction: Using Trauma Stewardship And Drama Therapy To Support Nurses In Hospital Settings, Julianne Kusmierczyk

Expressive Therapies Theses

Compassion fatigue and burnout, post-COVID-19 pandemic, are still significant factors in the departure of nurses from the healthcare profession. Despite the identification of the causes of burnout and compassion fatigue in the workplace, and the identification of mental health practices that would support healthcare workers like nurses, healthcare organizations are doing little to provide the necessary resources. Drama therapy would provide a therapeutic framework to develop trauma stewardship, the practice in which individuals and organizations tend to the hardships and trauma faced in today’s world. Only a few studies exist that identify the benefits of using drama therapy to support …

Rhythms Of Hippocampal Function And Memory After Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Lilliana May Sanchez

Psychology ETDs

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders involve morphologic and neurobiological abnormalities in offspring subjected to prenatal alcohol exposure. Although not as well studied as high exposure, moderate prenatal alcohol exposure represents the most common and undetected form in humans. While learning and memory deficits have been well characterized at the behavioral level in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and in animal models of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure, few studies have determined the circuit or systems level mechanisms of the behavioral deficits. A complete understanding of the neural bases of memory deficits after moderate prenatal alcohol exposure is needed to ultimately identify …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

The Church As Provider Of Pastoral Care: Relational Presence, Narrative Listening, Preaching, And Advocacy In African American Missionary Baptist Churches In Southside Fort Worth, Texas, Michael R. Timberlake

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Abstract

Michael R. Timberlake, Sr.

May 1, 2026

THE CHURCH AS PROVIDER OF PASTORAL CARE: RELATIONAL PRESENCE, NARRATIVE LISTENING, PREACHING, AND ADVOCACY IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES IN SOUTHSIDE FORT WORTH, TEXAS

The purpose of this research project is to restore and maintain the resiliency in the African American Missionary Baptist churches in the Southside of Fort Worth, Texas. The research identified a high level of importance for African American churches in Fort Worth to resemble the historic legacy of spiritual leadership, communal care, and social advocacy while ministering within contexts marked by racial and economic marginalization. Enabling practical …

Essays On Development Economics, Environmental Economics, And Political Economy, Weihong Li

Economics Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 explores the strategic behavior of provincial leaders in China in response to visits by central government leaders. I find that such behavior is correlated with provincial leaders’ personal characteristics and their connections with the visitors. Meanwhile, acting strategically during these visits has a positive and significant effect on overall promotions, but a positive and insignificant effect on promotions to the most important positions in the Politburo.

Chapter 2 examines the impact of the Confucian norms on the spatial heterogeneity of fertility rates and sex-selective abortions in contemporary China. To overcome the challenge of quantifying cultural norms, I construct …

Torá: A Description Of A Dormant Chapacuran Language From Legacy Materials, Akasha Synclair

Linguistics ETDs

Torá, an Amazonian language of the Chapacuran family, went dormant as the Torá people survived colonization. Yet, in the early 1920’s, over 600 Torá words, phrases, and sentences were documented. Despite interest by today’s Torá community in language revitalization, no comprehensive analysis of the data has been undertaken. This project used methods of linguistic reconstitution, cross linguistic comparison, and the creation of an open-access database to produce a phonological and morphosyntactic analysis of Torá. Phonological findings of particular interest include evidence for vowel harmony and variable oralization of nasals. In structure, Torá is very similar to related languages, displaying a …

Bayesian Spatiotemporal Model For Counterfactual Estimation In Socioeconomic Studies, Duwani W. Gonzalez

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

Impact evaluations of regional development programs often require estimating counterfactual outcomes for a small number of treated regions using survey-based areal data. In practice, evaluators typically rely on two-group quasi-experimental methods such as propensity score matching (PSM) and Difference-in-Differences (DiD). These approaches perform poorly when only a few regions receive treatment, and when the set of observed covariates is limited or only partially relevant. Moreover, they typically do not explicitly exploit the spatial and temporal dependence present in survey-based areal data such as in ACS (American Community Survey). This dissertation develops a family of Bayesian spatial predictive models for directly …

Women's, Gender, And Sexuality Studies At 25 And 50, Rebecca Fitzsimmons

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

Session abstract:
The histories of our institutions, spaces, collections, and communities come to life through the stories we tell with exhibits. As a tried and true way to promote collections, facilitate collection development, and engage users, the best exhibits go far beyond strategic goals and informational value. Exhibits have the power to connect people. As technology changes and our audiences evolve, exhibit strategies and impacts evolve, too. This session explores four recent case studies of exhibits, both physical and digital, pop-up and longer term, that support a range of outreach, deep collaboration, and collection development opportunities. Projects from the Ohio …

Fueling Reactions: Three Empirical Essays On Behavioral Responses, Economic Shocks, And Energy Markets, Euclides Coelho De Medeiros Correia

Economics Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how shocks in energy and commodity markets propagate through local economies and reshape human behavior, spanning three empirical essays that connect energy markets to electoral behavior, commodity price dynamics, and criminal violence.

Where Is Home: Finding Belonging In God Through Expressive And Drama Therapy Processes Among Chinese Diaspora International Students, Minmin Pan

Expressive Therapies Theses

Being an international student for 12 years in the United States, this research engages with personal reflection and literature around international student identity formation situated in the current social and political context of increasing visa and employment uncertainty. International students’ ongoing movement across cultural spaces, limited representation of cross-cultural narratives and supportive spaces in academic settings, can contribute to fragmentation in experiences and identity that are shaped by dominant narratives and social positioning, thus further leading to disconnection from self and surroundings.

Relational spirituality literature suggests that one’s relational experience with God can deeply impact their interpretation of experiences, social …

Beyond Brain Drain: H-1b Visas, Innovation, And Human Flourishing, Joel Wong

Honors Projects

High-skilled migration has become one of the defining features of the modern global economy, especially in technology, engineering, and research-intensive industries. While public debate surrounding the H-1B visa program often centers on its effects within the United States, less attention has been given to how these migration flows affect the countries from which workers originate. This question is important because many sending countries invest heavily in the education and development of highly skilled workers while also seeking long-term economic growth and innovation. This study examines whether increases in H-1B visa migration are associated with changes in innovation outcomes in major …

Fluid Identities: Using Seattle's Diverse Water Narratives To Shape Cultural Values And Adaptive Conservation Strategies, Brooke J. Vanden Berg

Honors Projects

This paper explores human interactions with the environment in and around Seattle, Washington, following its trajectory from the Vashon glacial episode to its present standing as a city on the frontier of future urban climate resilience. By examining the shift from indigenous stewardship to a twentieth-century settler-led industrial “taming” paradigm, ecological vulnerabilities are considered through the lens of ill-advised hydraulic regrading and the centralization and privatization of water infrastructure and rights. This history is contextualized in the 21st century as climate projections indicate that Seattle's reliance on mountain snowpack, increasing thermal extremes, sea-level rise, and hydraulic instability caused by climate …

Shelter From The Storm: Public Library Value And Community Adaptive Capacities, Margo Gustina

Economics ETDs

This dissertation contributes to theoretical framing within the discipline of library science, while building out empirical methods for quantitatively valuing broadly loved public libraries. Chapter 1 lays the foundation for understanding how analysis public libraries must always be set within regional contexts. Chapter 2 demonstrates that positive voter valuation of public libraries is driven by proximity to a library building by using data from public funding referendum events. Chapter 3 estimates a reduction of 0.75 percentage point (p=0.002) in graduation rates where public libraries were closed (but school instruction was in-person) from COVID closures. Chapter 4 builds on the previous …

Perception, Payment, And Pollution- Examining The Effects Of Air Quality On Health And Healthcare, Colin Sleeper

Economics ETDs

Abstract

This dissertation examines how air quality and public attention to environmental shock affect perceived health status and healthcare utilization. The first chapter uses publicly available survey data from BRFSS and a triple difference framework to analyze the effects of the 2018 wildfire season in Oregon on self-reported mental and physical health. Findings indicate that those in Oregon in 2018, during the period of heightened attention to wildfire smoke, experienced approximately 1.4 additional poor mental health days, on average. The second chapter includes Merative MarketScan commercial insurance claims data to test whether these changes translate into a behavioral response. Results …

Agricultural Water Management, Farmer Decision-Making And Climate Adaptation In Dryland Agriculture: A Case Of The Middle Rio Grande Basin, Oluwatosin A. Olofinsao

Economics ETDs

Agriculture in dryland regions faces mounting pressure from climate change, water scarcity, and shifting land-use demands. The Middle Rio Grande Basin (MRGB) of central New Mexico exemplifies these challenges, where irrigated agriculture relies on increasingly variable surface water supplies. This dissertation examines agricultural water use, farmer decision-making, and adaptation strategies across farm types and climate conditions in the MRGB. The first study presents a spatial descriptive analysis of farm size, crop patterns, groundwater access, evapotranspiration (ET), and effective ET, revealing a landscape numerically dominated by smallholder farms that account for a substantial share of irrigation water use. The second study …

Exploring Color-Blind Racial Attitudes And Critical Race Theory - Informed Beliefs Among School Social Workers, Faith E. King

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Black Americans face unequal rates of psychological distress and misdiagnosis primarily due to systemic racism embedded in institutions. Despite these alarming realities, current mental health frameworks often cling to biased perceptions of wellness facilitated by White, Eurocentric norms that pathologize communal resilience and cultural expressions of healing. In clinical spaces, these realities are too often erased by the biased meanings and individualistic norms that render Black grief pathological and Black resistance dysfunctional. Dominant therapeutic modalities labeled “evidence-based” remain rooted in racially neutral, individualist assumptions that exclude the lived experiences of Black clients, as they were developed for them. The National …