The path to art therapy: A heuristic arts-based inquiry on my career choices, a decolonial feminist reflection

This arts-based heuristic inquiry (HABI) aims to bring to light the authors’ process of finding her career choice, to become an art therapist while living in a male-oriented society that constantly influences career decisions for women. Through this self-reflection, informed by decolonial feminist theories (Lugones, 2011; Segato, 2015), the author provides a space for herself and an invitation to the readers to cultivate compassionate cultural humility, explore the influences of socio-cultural values and pressures in career choices and reflect on the influences of privilege and oppression within this decision-making process. In the author’s case, she resisted the mandate for masculinity (Segato, 2016) by choosing the stronger side within her academic interests: psychology – neurocognition, drifting away from her true-self: art and being a helper. Through an intricate path she found art therapy. While conducting the literature review, the author kept a narrative and visual journal where she proposed five questions framed within Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model (1979/1992). The author answered the inquiries using the Five Whys technique (Pojasek, 2000). These answers were used as prompts to create a series of artwork responses. The researcher reflected on her personal experiences about her career path and the possible cultural patriarchal influences through this process. The author grew up in Mexico City and locates herself as a Latina, multi-ethnic, middle-class, cis-gender woman. Through this research, she found that the narrative of women's minoritization (Segato, 2010) enforces oppression to all minorities, and post-colonial practices of land exploitation detriment mental, spiritual, and community well-being. Keywords: cultural humility, career choices, art therapy, decolonial feminism, masculinity mandate, patriarchy, minoritization

"Help! I Need Somebody": Music as a Global Resource for Obtaining Wellbeing Goals in Times of Crisis.

Music can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance positive mood, and facilitate social bonding. However, little is known about the role of music and related personal or cultural (individualistic vs. collectivistic) variables in maintaining wellbeing during times of stress and social isolation as imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. In an online questionnaire, administered in 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, and USA, N = 5,619), participants rated the relevance of wellbeing goals during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of different activities in obtaining these goals. Music was found to be the most effective activity for three out of five wellbeing goals: enjoyment, venting negative emotions, and self-connection. For diversion, music was equally good as entertainment, while it was second best to create a sense of togetherness, after socialization. This result was evident across different countries and gender, with minor effects of age on specific goals, and a clear effect of the importance of music in people's lives. Cultural effects were generally small and surfaced mainly in the use of music to obtain a sense of togetherness. Interestingly, culture moderated the use of negatively valenced and nostalgic music for those higher in distress

"Help! I Need Somebody": Music as a Global Resource for Obtaining Wellbeing Goals in Times of Crisis

Music can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance positive mood, and facilitate social bonding. However, little is known about the role of music and related personal or cultural (individualistic vs. collectivistic) variables in maintaining wellbeing during times of stress and social isolation as imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. In an online questionnaire, administered in 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, and USA, N = 5,619), participants rated the relevance of wellbeing goals during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of different activities in obtaining these goals. Music was found to be the most effective activity for three out of five wellbeing goals: enjoyment, venting negative emotions, and self-connection. For diversion, music was equally good as entertainment, while it was second best to create a sense of togetherness, after socialization. This result was evident across different countries and gender, with minor effects of age on specific goals, and a clear effect of the importance of music in people's lives. Cultural effects were generally small and surfaced mainly in the use of music to obtain a sense of togetherness. Interestingly, culture moderated the use of negatively valenced and nostalgic music for those higher in distress.Laboratorio para el Estudio de la Experiencia Musica

"Help! I Need Somebody": Music as a Global Resource for Obtaining Wellbeing Goals in Times of Crisis.

Music can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance positive mood, and facilitate social bonding. However, little is known about the role of music and related personal or cultural (individualistic vs. collectivistic) variables in maintaining wellbeing during times of stress and social isolation as imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. In an online questionnaire, administered in 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, and USA, N = 5,619), participants rated the relevance of wellbeing goals during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of different activities in obtaining these goals. Music was found to be the most effective activity for three out of five wellbeing goals: enjoyment, venting negative emotions, and self-connection. For diversion, music was equally good as entertainment, while it was second best to create a sense of togetherness, after socialization. This result was evident across different countries and gender, with minor effects of age on specific goals, and a clear effect of the importance of music in people's lives. Cultural effects were generally small and surfaced mainly in the use of music to obtain a sense of togetherness. Interestingly, culture moderated the use of negatively valenced and nostalgic music for those higher in distress