Playing in an Earthquake: Development of a Method Integrating TraumaPlay and Drama Therapy Core Processes

TraumaPlay is a specific play therapy model designed to meet the unique needs of children with exposure to traumatic and/or adverse experiences through clearly identified treatment components. With this, drama therapy has also been considered as a viable treatment option, particularly in the school setting, for children with exposure to traumatic and/or adverse experiences. Additional literature has identified overlaps between play therapy and drama therapy practices. As such, the aim of this thesis was to propose a method which explores whether the drama therapy core processes can be integrated with TraumaPlay’s foundational treatment goals to augment the therapeutic process of a child with exposure to traumatic and/or adverse experiences. This method was implemented during two sessions of individual school-based counseling with one child who has a known trauma history. The results of this process showed promising outcomes for using the core processes of distancing, dramatic projection, embodiment, dramatic reality, and dramatic play to amplify positive coping skills, soothe the physiology, increase emotional literacy, address the thought life, and make positive meaning of the post-trauma self. This exploration suggests that the integration of drama therapy core processes with TraumaPlay components has the potential to augment the therapeutic process of children who have experienced trauma and/or adverse experiences

Visitor Characteristics and Attitudes Toward Policies in the Irish Wilderness of Southern Missouri

Questionnaires which assessed attitudes toward wilderness policies and behavioral norms were distributed to individuals at the Irish Wilderness, in the surrounding communities, and to conservation groups. Questions were designed to describe general wilderness policies and also those policies specific to the Irish Wilderness. The Irish Wilderness, located in southeastern Missouri, was designated as a national wilderness area in 1984. Prior to this 1986 study, no previous studies had been conducted in the area to describe visitor characteristics and attitudes toward wilderness management policies. A comparison was also made between the attitudes of the Irish Wilderness visitor and of Pacific Northwest wilderness visitors (Hendee et al., 1968). Three hypotheses were tested: (1) differences exist between experienced and nonexperienced individuals in their perception of what constitutes wilderness norms as defined by the 1964 Wilderness Act, (2) differences do not exist between western and midwestern wilderness visitors and their attitudes toward proper wilderness behavior and norms, and (3) individuals with prior Irish Wilderness visits will exhibit a more purist attitude toward administrative goals set for the Irish Wilderness than those individuals with less wilderness experience. The findings of this study show that visitors with the most wilderness experience respond more favorably to statements which reflect the ideals and goals of the 1964 Wilderness Act. This corresponds with information provided in Young\u27s (1982) study which stated that the experienced visitor would exhibit a more purist attitude in regards to wilderness behavior. Also, respondents from the Irish Wilderness study differed from the respondents in the Pacific Northwest study in their attitudes toward acceptable wilderness norms and behaviors. In most cases, Irish Wilderness respondents were more favorable to statements which reflected the goals of the 1964 Wilderness Act, although the amount of time which had elapsed between the two studies (15 years) should be taken into consideration. Previous experience in the Irish Wilderness appeared to play a role in the individual\u27s concurrence and compliance with the administrative policies of the area. This may also coincide with the fact that particular needs of the individual are being met within the wilderness area. Successful management of wilderness areas may be enhanced by recognizing the needs of the individual and seeing that those needs mesh with the area\u27s entire realm of wilderness attributes, of which recreational activities are a small part

Transracial Adoption: Racial Identity, Resilience, and Self-esteem of African American Adoptees

This study compared self-reported racial identity, resilience, and self-esteem of three independent sample groups consisting of African American adoptees (N = 45), aged 18–72. One group (n = 25) had been adopted by two Caucasian parents, the second (n= 10) by two African American parents, and the third (n = 10) by a single African American parent. The Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, Resilience Scale, and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were used. Adoptees had higher levels of racial identity when they had been adopted by two African American parents as opposed to two Caucasian parents. Racial identity for adoptees with single African American parents did not differ significantly from either adoptees with two African American parents or adoptees with two Caucasian parents. Resilience was significantly higher for adoptees with two African American parents than for both transracial adoptees and adoptees with a single African American parent. No significant differences regarding self-esteem were found among the three sample groups. As predicted, resilience was positively correlated with racial identity. Contrary to what was hypothesized, resilience and self-esteem had a significant negative correlation. Two, 1-model, hierarchical multiple regression analyses (HMRA) were performed. For the first HMRA, predictor variables accounted for 54% of the variability in self-esteem, with resilience and racial identity negatively correlated with self-esteem. For the second HMRA, predictor variables accounted for 68% of the variability in resilience. Implications of the results, parenting styles of transracial adoptive parents, the author\u27s own White racial identity, and future directions for research are discussed