OUR SONG: VIRTUAL GROUP SONGWRITING WITH MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

This study investigated healthcare workers experiences in hospital provided virtual songwriting groups. Groups were led by a board-certified music therapist and prompted by one of three chosen themes from the hospital’s motto: to heal, to teach, to discover. Specifically, this work aimed to understand the role of songwriting as an arts-based intervention and its impact on aspects of workplace community with healthcare workers. Post group interviews were conducted and analyzed, which resulted in the emergence of seven major themes including: Sense of Purpose, Point of Connection and Community, Positive Engagement and Collaboration, Enhancing Mood State and Evoking Emotions, Impact of Aesthetic Beauty, Innovation and Creative Resource, Accessibility and Empowerment. Additional context is explored throughout the project pertaining to medical staff stressors and vulnerabilities, this researcher’s progression of establishing integrated arts programming within a large-scale healthcare system, and the concept of using art as workplace wellness support

Centering Black Resource-Poor Adolescent Voices: A Critical Phenomenological Study of Lived Mental Health Struggles While Enduring the Covid-19 Pandemic

There is a dearth of research in general and qualitative research specifically about the mental health experience of resource-poor Black adolescents living in Boston. This has implications for the field in terms of how adolescents experiencing mental health issues can be supported and how professionals can create more useful mental health treatment. Drawing from the theoretical lens of critical race theory and more specifically, intersectionality, this hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry examined the ways in which experiencing multiple levels of inequality, especially from racism and poverty, affected a Black adolescent’s mental health. Eleven adolescents were interviewed via Zoom. Six major findings included: (a) community connections, (b) grief and loss, (c) systemic struggles as a society in media, (d) screen time, (e) mental health service utilization, and (f) systemic racism (i.e., George Floyd’s murder and Black Lives Matter protests on the mental health of Black adolescents). Through reflections, including their pre- and post-COVID-19 mental health, multiple themes and subthemes emerged to create a patchwork of the stories of 11 young lives

Healing the Body Politic: Integrating Death Café and Expressive Arts Therapy Open Studio Processes to Create ‘Death Literate’ Civic Spaces of Support

This community engagement project, conducted online and in-person at a local art gallery, focused on integrating Death Café and expressive arts therapy open studio processes to create more ‘death positive’ community-based spaces of support. An extensive literature review explored current research on the Death Café model and the related topics of death denial, death positivity, death education and death literacy primarily in the United States; surveyed extant international literature on the expressive arts therapy open studio model; and garnered select publications pertaining to third places and third spaces, dialogue as community empowerment, and the role of the ‘citizen therapist’. Key details gleaned from the literature review included a critique of the death denial thesis and death positivity; Death Café as a quickly growing community practice in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic; the open studio model as an inherently community-centered approach to expressive arts therapy; and dialogue as a socially connecting communicative act. One in-person and one online combined Death Café and expressive arts therapy open studio process were conducted with two different groups of self-selecting participants, ranging in age and gender but mostly alike in racial identity, language and education level. Key findings included ‘death literacy’ as a more conducive frame for community support than ‘death positivity’; the unique constraints and opportunities related to conducting this integrated process in person and online; and the potential of this work to contribute to collective, as well as individual wellbeing, as an activity taking place in civic space

Therapeutic Qualities and Applications of Clay in Expressive Arts Therapy: A Literature Review

This literature review investigates the therapeutic qualities and clinical applications of clay within the framework of expressive arts therapy (ExAT), with particular focus on sensorimotor, somatic, and developmental interventions. Drawing upon the expressive therapies continuum (ETC), this review synthesizes emerging research highlighting clay\u27s kinesthetic and tactile properties as key mechanisms for facilitating emotional expression, accessing unconscious material, and promoting psychological resilience. Evidence is presented for specialized therapeutic modalities such as clay art therapy (CAT) and Clay Field Work, which engage the body-mind connection to support trauma integration and emotion regulation. Findings demonstrate that clay\u27s inherent adaptability and sensory richness allow for non-verbal communication; concretization and symbolization of internal experiences; and transformative therapeutic outcomes, particularly in populations experiencing complex grief, developmental trauma, and low socio-economic vulnerability. Clay-based ExAT interventions are evidenced to align with multiple resilience factors across emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains, however, this review identifies a significant gap in longitudinal research and underscores the need for formal ceramic arts education in ExAT training to ensure safety and efficacy in clinical practice. This review contributes to the growing body of knowledge advocating for clay’s distinct role in somatic and expressive therapeutic methodologies

Using Natural Materials in Art Therapy to Address Accessibility and Well-Being in Low-Income Older Adults

This study investigated the implementation of natural materials during the artmaking processes in an older adult art therapy group (eco-art therapy), and its effects on their well-being and the role of accessibility in their lives. An open-studio approach was applied to emphasize the artmaking process being driven by the participants independently, while also sharing a collaborative space and creating community with each other. There was an exception to this condition in this study, being that the participants were encouraged to ask for assistance in using unconventional materials in their artwork if they felt they needed it. The participants were older adults, aged approximately 40-60 years old, who had experienced being unhoused and/or came from low-income backgrounds. Many of the participants lived with chronic physical and mental health conditions and are currently living in subsidized housing. Each art therapy directive was designed to serve a particular purpose or challenge the participants depending on their comfortability and familiarity with specific visual arts and natural materials. The data collected were pre- and post-process objective, observational notes created by this author. Findings suggest that the dual implementation of the visual arts with natural materials positively impacted group participants, highlighting several themes; 1) Art as a Therapeutic Process Through the Engagement of Natural Materials 2) Community and Social Connection, 3) Mental Health and Reflection, and 4) Shifting Organizational Structures and Its Impact. This exploration provided an opportunity to practice an intermodal and holistic approach within a group setting, whilst harnessing the healing capabilities of nature-based therapy and mediums. Art therapists can begin to integrate these holistic practices and theories into their methodologies to better contain and support a client’s evolving needs

“It’s… complicated:” A Literature Review on the Possibilities of Using Drama Therapy to Improve Relational Functioning of Emerging Adults with Complex Trauma

Interpersonal relationships play a crucial and complicated role in the mental well-being and development of emerging adults. Complex trauma has a significant negative effect on relational functioning, which plays an important role in post-traumatic growth, especially for emerging adults. This thesis reviewed current literature to outline the interaction between complex trauma and interpersonal relationships through the developmental lens of emerging adulthood. Empirical studies highlighted emotional (dys)regulation, attachment processes, and self-concept as mediating factors of this interaction. The literature reviewed offered current treatment approaches for this population, with connections that were relevant to drama therapy approaches. The literature showed that drama therapy has great potential as a treatment modality for emerging adults with complex trauma, as it is inherently relational, encourages spontaneity, is embodied, and utilizes the concept of distancing. While not generalizable, there is empirical evidence that highlights the positive effect of drama therapy on factors that mediate the interaction between trauma and relationships. Additional research is needed regarding complex trauma in emerging adulthood and the efficacy of treatment specific to this population

School-Based Dance/Movement Therapy for Adolescents in Special Education: A Critical Literature Review

In response to the increase in the number of students who receive special education services in the United States, along with a heightening need for accessible mental health services, school-based therapy is a growing area of research. Dance/movement therapy is an expressive arts therapy modality designed to support diverse populations in multiple settings. This literature review aimed to critically examine and synthesize research pertaining to school-based dance/movement therapy for adolescents in special education. This review examined the impact of school-based dance/movement therapy on social-emotional skills and related outcomes for adolescents in special education and found positive trends for improvement in these domains. Additionally, qualities were described for five dance/movement therapy elements (mirroring, rhythm, props, structure, and strengths-based approaches), which were determined based on findings from the literature. Qualities of school-based services were also examined. Barriers to the implementation of school-based dance/movement therapy for this population were identified, including perceived lack of feasibility of services. Based on the findings of this review, the field of dance/movement therapy is in a unique position to effectively address the needs of adolescents in special education within a school-based setting. Future research should include intersectional identities and direct perspectives from students with disabilities, as well as address barriers to the implementation of school-based dance/movement therapy for adolescents in special education

Literature Review: Drama Therapy as a School-Based Intervention for Military-Connected Adolescents

The following literature review will review current research surrounding military-connected adolescents mental health and the viability of utilizing drama therapy as a school-based intervention to improve their mental health. Military-connected adolescents are an invisible minority who experience a unique set of stressors. This population experiences frequent relocation, parental deployment, and the impact living this way can have on the entire family. The current research shows that military-connected adolescents are more likely than their civilian peers to experience mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety. School-based therapeutic interventions have been shown to help decrease symptoms. School-based interventions allow for the therapist to meet with adolescents where they spend the majority of their week and decrease potential concerns with outside therapy. Research in drama therapy has shown that it can be positively impactful for adolescents in a school setting. The impact of drama therapy on military-connected adolescents has not been researched, but there has been success with related populations. Both individual contract drama therapists and different drama therapy programs have been used in school settings to support adolescents. The current research on school-based drama therapy can be adapted to be used with a military-connected adolescent population; however, research implementing drama therapy as a school-based intervention is needed to understand how can be used as an effective intervention for military-connected adolescents

Heartscape Resonance: A Psychophysiological Coherence-Based Expressive Arts Therapy Intervention for Quantum Healing of Emotional Dysregulation

This feasibility study examines the concept of Psychophysiological Coherence-Based Expressive Arts Therapy as a method for improving emotional regulation and aiding trauma recovery in psychiatric inpatient groups. The intervention developed for this study, termed Heartscape Resonance, integrates quantum healing, somatic heart coherence practices, and expressive arts therapy into a model that combines heart-centered breathing, bilateral stimulation, and artistic expression. The intervention was implemented four times across three units at an inpatient hospital in Massachusetts, USA. Self-report data collection methods that utilize embodied awareness, coherence ratings, and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) testing were employed, with the facilitator’s data forming the basis for inferring group-level insights based on principles of social coherence, attunement, and kinesthetic empathy. Despite evidence of improvements in emotional regulation, somatic awareness, and emotional processing supporting coherence-based expressive arts therapy for trauma healing, further research is required before making definitive conclusions and evaluating clinical utility

Exploring Dance/Movement Therapy Through an Existential-Feminist Lens for Perimenopausal Individuals in the Post-COVID Digital Age: A Literature Review

The goal of this thesis was to understand the impact that perimenopause and the COVID-19 pandemic have on individuals and how existential theory and dance/movement therapy can be applied to enhance quality of life. The literature review first explores historical and current contexts of perimenopause. The second section covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregiving individuals, particularly women. Subsequent sections introduce existential theory and dance/movement therapy frameworks, with a concentration on relevant concepts for the specified population. Research shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic, external pressures around appearance, reproductive value, and the societal expectations of women intensified. Overall, the research supported that perimenopausal individuals in a post-COVID-19 pandemic society can benefit holistically from dance/movement therapy through an existential-feminist lens