Art Therapy Commons^™

Searching For Graphic Indicators Of Resilience In A Homeless Youth Population: A Research Proposal, Aubrey Hall

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The presence of resilience in a person may determine their ability to bounce back from adverse experiences. This proposal suggests art therapy as an excellent modality for building resilience and therefore also a means for measuring the degree of resilience an individual possesses. Information regarding the Person Picking an Apple from a Tree (PPAT) drawing is analyzed in the following paragraphs and connections between the drawing and resilience are discussed. This researcher supports the PPAT directive as a tool for assessing resilience in a homeless youth population.

Body Image: Indicators And Concern As Demonstrated In A Brief Art Therapy Group, Ashley Busch

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Research indicates that adolescent girls are prone to partake in pathological eating habits and internalization of the “thin ideal,” which increases their predisposition for developing a negative body image. Negative body image, in turn, increases the risk of developing an eating disorder. This study examined art therapy’s effectiveness in identifying body image concern in a group of pre-adolescent girls. Three girls participated in the single-session art therapy intervention that contained three art tasks related to body image. Two qualitative measures and one qualitative pretest/posttest measures were included to evaluate body image concern and the overall effectiveness of the intervention. Each …

The Role Of Personality In Individual Perceptions Of The Value Of Visual Journaling In Art Therapy Graduate Education, Daniel J. Koon

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This preliminary qualitative study used a mixed methods approach to explore the relationship between personality and individual perceptions regarding the value of the self-care practice of maintaining a visual journal. Twenty-two students from the Graduate Art Therapy and Counseling Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School participated in a pre-screening session, in which they completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Form M Self-Scorable. Ten of the twenty-two participants, five introverts and five extraverts, were selected based on the results of the MBTI. Over a one-month research period, participants each completed two ten-question surveys and a face-to-face interview. Participant responses were compared …

Art Therapy From Client And Therapist Perspectives: A Mixed Methods Study, Danielle L. Jweid

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

In order to constantly improve and enhance any field, research must explore all aspects. This study explored the experience of art therapy from the clients’ perspective and how the therapist views the client experience.

The participants in this study included two client-therapist dyads that were tracking the art therapy treatment experience over the course of four to five weeks. The study involved quantitative and qualitative data collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires were filled out by therapist and client at the end of each session for the duration of the study and then the results were quantified and presented …

The Impact Of The Art Show And Open Studio On The Adolescent Art Experience: Considerations For The Field Of Art Therapy, Kimberly A. Huston

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

As adolescents developmentally explore their self-concept, their involvement in art can help foster a positive artist identity and positive self-concept. Art therapy research is lacking in the quantitative effects and effectiveness of an open studio and art show on adolescent art self-concept. In this non-clinical study, three adolescent participants, ages 13-14, attended three 90-minute open studio sessions and one concluding art show. Results were measured by the Art Self-Concept Inventory (ASCI) pre- and posttest. Additional quantitative and qualitative data was obtained by the Art Experience Questionnaire at the conclusion of the intervention. Results showed that score on the ASCI increased …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Emotional Experience Of Adults Taking The Art Therapy-Projective Imagery Assessment, Emily Hege

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This study is a phenomenological qualitative study on the emotional experience of adults taking the Art Therapy-Projective Imagery Assessment. The literature review of this study includes research on: the emotional experience of test taking, therapeutic, collaborative, and person centered assessment, emotional response to looking at art, emotional regulation during test taking, as well as research on art therapy assessment. This participants of this study included four adults between the ages of 18 and 16 years of age, recruited from the Sentara Center for Simulation and Immersive Learning at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The participants were administered the Art Therapy- Projective …

The Art Therapy Technique Of ‘Life Review’: Its Impact On Existential Issues In Older Adults, Emily Victoria Willen

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

For many older adults, the aging process brings many existential and end-of-life concerns. These concerns may be related to their experiences, their self-concept, and the choices they made throughout their lives. Older adults who are able to sufficiently address these issues are less vulnerable to feelings of depression and hopelessness. The geriatric population is in need of services that will help them resolve existential issues and integrate their experiences into a cohesive sense of self.

This qualitative case study explored the effectiveness of using the art therapy technique of the life review to help an older adult resolve existential questions …

Perceptions Of Art Therapy Among Medical Students, Laura A. Sibiski

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This study utilized a mixed methods survey to address the perceptions of art therapy among medical students currently enrolled at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS). Of 530 students, 179 completed the online survey, which resulted in a 34% respondent rate. Overall, respondents indicated that they find the treatment of psychosocial factors/symptoms secondary to medical illness very important and psychiatry and psychotherapy/counseling as somewhat effective in doing so. The respondents reported a lack of knowledge regarding the field of art therapy and an overall interest in learning more about art therapy and the program specific to EVMS. Suggestions for further integration …

Depressive Symptoms And Bookmaking In Group Art Therapy With Female African American College Students, Joselyn Spence

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This mixed methods study examined the experience and effects of bookmaking in art therapy on the depressive symptoms of a 22 year-old female African American college student through a six-week art therapy intervention using bookmaking. It was hypothesized that bookmaking in art therapy would lead to a decrease of depressive symptoms. The hypothesis was supported as evidenced by a 14-point decrease on the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Additionally, the participant reported that the experience with bookmaking in art therapy was an effective tool in decreasing her depressive symptoms by giving her an outlet and a place to share her feelings.

Exploring Views Of The Family Unit As Conveyed By Kinetic Family Drawings Created By Children From The Filipino-American Group, Rebecca Masia

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

There have been contrasting opinions about children’s drawings. Considerable research is in support of culture having an influence on the drawings of children and adolescents, in that there are visible differences in drawing style, content, etc. Whereas, other research states that many characteristics in children’s drawings are universal constructs. Focus was placed on the family unit in terms of art assessment because research supports that the family cannot be understood outside of the context of culture. The current study sought to recognize how children portray the family unit and whether culturally-specific patterns would emerge through their family drawings.

Due to …

The Three Dimensions Of Cultural Competency In Art Therapy Education: Awareness, Knowledge, And Skills, Evans Baker

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The subject of multicultural competent practice has gained attention from the mental health professions for the last few decades. Many health profession’s associations took actions to ensure that cultural competent practice is one of the major focuses in the educational setting. The American Art Therapy Association understood the necessity of multicultural competency education and in December 2011, announced the Multicultural / Diversity Competencies as a guideline for practicing art therapists and educators to establish cultural competency standards. Lack of research in the subject of multicultural competency inspired this study to examine the art therapy education program in a wide range …

Cognition In Adults’ Experience Of The Art Therapy-Projective Imagery Assessment, Gaelan Harmon-Walker

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The Art Therapy-Projective Imagery Assessment (AT-PIA) is a direct-observation clinical interview consisting of six drawings. It is administered by art therapists to children, adolescents, and adults to identify developmental level, areas of clinical concern, strengths, defenses, diagnoses, and potential for engaging with art processes and materials in a therapeutic relationship. Although assessment remains a research priority for art therapists, paucity exists in the literature regarding art therapy clinical interviews.

This qualitative multiple case study explored the experiences of five adult standardized patients, recruited from the Sentara Center for Simulation and Immersive Learning. Participants were individually administered the AT-PIA and then …

Tamziq, Scattered And Connected: A Conversation In Art By Middle Eastern And American Artists, Paul Atwood, William Joiner Center For The Study Of War And Social Consequences, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The number of Iraqi refugees resettled in the United States has grown from only 202 in 2006 to approximately 17,000 in 2009. Since 2007, 58,810 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the United States. This group now forms the largest refugee population in the state of Massachusetts. At the same time, a large number of veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

This project recognizes the increasing need for dialogue and exchange with and within these communities and a further need to broaden understanding of the cultural influences on our changing communities.

Art Therapy And Autism Spectrum Disorder: Building Sibling Connections, Melissa Scott Mariner

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Families of children with autism encounter unique challenges. This thesis is a report of the case material from providing clinical art therapy to one sibling dyad with the goal of assessing and strengthening the sibling relationship.

Three one-hour individual art therapy sessions with the sibling were alternated with three dyad art therapy sessions to address the sibling’s experience and promote increased communication, interaction, and reciprocity between the siblings. The case report was generated from a semi-structured interview with the parents, a family art therapy assessment, session observations, and artwork created in session. The art processes used provided participants with an …

Art Therapy For Enhancing Academic Experience Of Male High School Freshmen, Kelvin Antonio Ramirez

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of group art therapy interventions in improving social and emotional issues for male high school freshmen. The Behavioral Assessment System for Children Second Edition (BASC-2) was used to measure academically tracked high school freshman (n = 80) receiving the 12 week intervention in a group setting in comparison to an academically matched control group (n=76). Independent sample t-tests compared participants in the Honor, Average and At Risk Tracks who received art therapy versus participants who did not. The findings indicate that for participants in the honors track, those receiving art …

Understanding Children's Art Making Preferences: Implications For Art Therapy, Amy Morrison

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study employed a phenomenological, qualitative approach to investigate children’s art making preferences. The researcher was curious about the meaning that creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional art forms held for children. Influences and contributions to children’s art making preferences were explored. Lastly the study questioned what children’s artistic preferences mean for the field of art therapy. Theories of art therapy, artistic development, and child development informed the study. Thirteen children ages 5 to 11, four boys and nine girls participated. The researcher requested the children choose a subject and create the subject in both two and three dimensions. A range of …

Art As A Catalyst For Resilience: Women Artists With A Life-Threatening Illness, Susan Firestone

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This phenomenological inquiry focused on the experiences of 12 professional women artists diagnosed with major medical illnesses, mostly cancer. Data from three in-­‐depth interviews with each participant indicated that their beliefs, personal strengths, learned skills, and lived experiences were fundamental to their commitment to art as a way of life. The overarching question of whether long-­‐term involvement in creative practices acted as a catalyst for resilience during and after treatments became the seminal exploration in this study. Data analysis used methods for qualitative research devised by Moustakas (1994), Giorgi (1985), and Forinash (2012), and a conversational approach in interviews suggested …

Intergenerational Mythweaving And Cultural Identity, Ethelyn Anguluan-Coger

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The study explored how intergenerational mythweaving as a form of expressive arts therapies affected the cultural identity of an intergenerational Filipino-American group. The specific research question addressed was, “Is Indigenous Artivism or IA an effective medium for fostering awareness of kapwa-based cultural identity?” IA was the theoretical framework with three components: the indigenous approach of storytelling, the indigenous process called kapwa-based intergenerational mythweaving or KIM, and an indigenous knowledge of helping and healing as a means for decolonization. IA was assumed to increase the awareness of cultural identity when participants achieved symbolic synthesis and cultural healing on the individual and …

The Silhouettes Of Autism, Chloe J. Dobbert

CMC Senior Theses

My passion as a student at the Claremont Colleges is to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder grow and learn as normal children and to help prepare them for life outside the Autism Center at Claremont McKenna College. In my thesis project, I am exploring the concept of silhouettes through photography and my perceptions of the stories told to me by the children I teach. Esthetically, I am inspired by Kara Walker’s installation of large cutout silhouettes but I am using different mediums to accomplish my project: Artistically, I am inspired by the detailed descriptions of the obsessive stories and …

Scripting Therapeutic Screen Stories : Animating The Healing Potential Of Film Narratives, Andrew Levett

Theses : Honours

Beyond entertainment, animated narratives can potentially induce psychological healing, termed “individuation.” Stories exist in many forms, like literature, film and conversation, as well as in the human mind, or “psyche.” These “self-narratives” use life experience to shape consciousness. Therefore, effective storytelling based on archetypal myths can restructure the psyche. Film narratives communicate meaning through symbols, termed “textual cues”, while screenwriters employ specific templates, which organise story information into familiar structures. These guide audiences towards predetermined meaning. Through bibliotherapy, which is the use of literature for therapeutic purposes, audiences project their unconscious content onto narrative components that resonate with it. Ego-consciousness …