Art has long been used as a healing method. Thousands of years ago, the Greeks designed temples to surround patients with art and nature and to promote healing and harmony. Today, a growing amount of evidence-based design research proves that hospitals need to be more mindful of the healing environment through better design and inclusion of the arts to reduce stress, lower costs and shorten hospital stays. This report follows Aaron Darling, an artist and part-time nurse based in Austin, Texas, who has seen a need for such change in local hospitals. Through expansive nature-themed wall murals, Darling hopes to improve the blank walls he has seen in hospital hallways and patient rooms and increase the presence of local art in Austin-area hospitals, starting with Seton Medical Center. His story sheds light on other local professionals using art to heal, such as art therapists, and successful healing arts programs, including Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. More than that, this report highlights the power of art itself to serve patients by improving healing spaces and acting as a positive distraction in an oftentimes scary place: the hospital. / text

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

This qualitative study utilizes the scholarly fields of art, critical pedagogy, adolescent development and research into the British Columbia juvenile justice system's governance and policies surrounding youth in care, in order to highlight art education in an alternate setting-a youth custody centre. Since arts-based programs for incarcerated teens exist in British Columbia, Canada, this study evaluates their efficacy as more than a pastime. There is currently a lack of scholarly research on Canadian youth living in correctional facilities, in particular research on the adolescent culture that exists inside the fence and locked doors. This study examines their lives and talents and draws attention to teens affected by crime and violence. Visual culture is an integral part of everyday lives and identities. Some forms of knowledge are more accessible while others are solely accessible through non-verbal means. This study utilizes visual art as a research tool to examine the potential of art programming to provide a safe place for experimentation and personal expression and the imponance of implementing sustainable community-based educational initiatives to support successful reintegration to society. I compare two programs: a traditional craft program and a progressive collaborative onc. Observational and interview data, action research and visual analysis provided insight to the adolescent sub-culture that exists within the prison setting, and reveals the potential of creative expression by the youthful inmates. The findings of this study provide information about edllcation and 'rehabilitation', specifically, the potential of an programs in non-traditional sites to aid in increasing self-esteem, emotional well-being and personal development. This was accomplished by engaging the youth in pro-social collaborative activities that utilize peer education and youth-driven initiatives. / Graduate

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether or not adults experienced anxiety when given certain art materials in an art therapy session; and if the materials did cause anxiety for the participants, which materials caused more anxiety than the others. The study utilizes qualitative and quantitative data collections to answer the research questions. Past and present literature has been reviewed as well as previous studies to help guide the research process. The researcher conducted the study over the course of one month by conducting group sessions with 15 adult participants. The adults participated in three art sessions and were given a different art material in each session. These art materials were photographic materials, clay materials and drawing materials. At the end of each session the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that inquired about their levels of anxiety and comfort with the art process. The data from the study found no particular art material to be more anxiety provoking than the others; however, some materials were more comfortable or more difficult to use than the others. The results were found by utilizing the quantitative and qualitative data that was gathered from the materials questionnaires. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2009. / June 25, 2009. / Art Therapy, Adults, Anxiety, Clay, Photography, Drawing / Includes bibliographical references. / David Gussak, Professor Directing Thesis; Marcia Rosal, Committee Member; Tom Anderson, Committee Member.

Art therapy assessments are tools that provide mental health clinicians with diagnostic information about clients. This study explored the Person Picking an Apple from a Tree (PPAT) assessment (Gantt & Tabone, 1998). The PPAT assessment is a standardized drawing task that can be evaluated on 14 formal element scales to distinguish groups of clients with Axis-I diagnoses. The purpose of the research was to identify the characteristic formal element variables in PPAT drawings for a normative population. Previous research indicated that the PPAT tool needed to be strengthened by establishing baseline normative data (Gantt, 2001; Gantt & Tabone, 1998). PPAT norms have been collected on non-client populations; however, they were small samples and lacked diversity. In the current study, the PPAT assessment was administered to a sample (N = 100) of college students. The sample was matched to the U.S. Census of college students for gender and ethnicity. PPAT drawings were scored according to the Formal Element Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) Rating Manual. Inter-rater reliability was established on the assessment instrument for 13 of the 14 FEATS scales. The findings identified normative qualities that emerged in the formal element variables of non-client PPAT drawings. Some differences in gender, ethnicity, and artistic experience emerged on specific FEATS scales. The statistical results of the study determined a cluster of FEATS characteristics attributable to non-clients. Findings in this research study can assist clinicians with assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Furthermore, results can aid future research initiatives and contribute to knowledge in the field of art therapy. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2007. / June 29, 2007. / normative study, drawing assessment, Formal Element Art Therapy Scale, FEATS, person picking an apple from a tree, PPAT, art assessment, art therapy / Includes bibliographical references. / Marcia L. Rosal, Professor Directing Thesis; David E. Gussak, Committee Member; Penelope P. Orr, Committee Member.

Federal legislation mandates that students with disabilities receive their education in the least restrictive environment and with their non-disabled peers whenever possible. Unfortunately, for many students with emotional behavioral disabilities this is not possible. Teachers are often not provided adequate training to meet the needs of students with challenging behaviors. The effects art therapy as a teaching modality on pre-service teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward students with emotional/behavioral disabilities was studied. Data was gathered using the Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale, the Teacher's Personal Construct Repertory Grid, a demographic questionnaire, drawings, videotape analysis of the inservice sessions and a follow-up questionnaire. Additional data was collected via two case studies. Results of the quantitative data indicated significant changes within both instruments. Qualitative data indicated several changes occurred. Exposure to information on students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, over the course of two class sessions, led to increased awareness and did alter how preservice teachers view students with emotional/behavioral disabilities. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2005. / July 26, 2005. / emotional behavioral disabilities, personal construct psychology, attitudes and perceptions, pre-service teachers, art therapy / Includes bibliographical references. / Marcia Rosal, Professor Directing Dissertation; Carolyn Piazza, Outside Committee Member; Dave Gussak, Committee Member; Penny Orr, Committee Member.

Suffering traumatic events and the stress disorders that may develop as a result of these experiences disrupt the successful daily functioning and the quality of a person's life. The current art therapy protocols that serve to combat the effects of traumatic events are either intensive or lengthy. With the current state of minimized insurance coverage and managed care, these intensive or lengthy approaches come at a high price to the client. As such, the research study developed into one oriented towards the formation of a successful art-based, interdisciplinary trauma protocol that could be implemented in a short-term university counseling center or a brief-therapy model. This paper will present the research and experimental work leading to the development of a short-term art-based protocol for the purpose of processing traumatic memory and the reduction of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms at a university counseling center. As it pertains to this study, the nature and symptoms of PTSD and the storage of traumatic memory will be discussed. The research and literature review that was used in the formation of the protocol will be addressed. The research portion of this paper will discuss PTSD, the storage of traumatic memory, grounding techniques, successful art therapy interventions used with clients who have experienced traumatic events, and five existing art-based trauma treatment approaches some of which combine art therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) techniques. The art-based research protocol developed for this study was originally 7 sessions, but in practice was shortened to 6 sessions in duration with a pre- and post-test measure using the Impact of Events Scale and pre- and post-interviews of the participant. The study was set up according to an action research model that required the participant to also have a role as a reviewer and feedback provider for the researcher. The feedback provided would offer valuable information in regards to any parts of the protocol deemed unnecessary or excessive in order to create a streamlined treatment. Although this protocol was not intended as a short cut to trauma treatment, it did aim to alleviate symptoms of PTSD so the client could return to more normal functioning after experiencing a traumatic event and after taking part in the protocol, decide if further counseling was needed. Once formed, this research protocol was tested with three consenting participants; two participants completed the protocol while the third discontinued participation after two sessions. The participants involved in the study and their presenting issues will be introduced and then the protocol sessions and art created, the results of the protocol, the participants' changes in functioning, the researcher's observations, and the participants' feedback will then be discussed, respectively. Both participants who completed the research protocol experienced an alleviation of their PTSD symptoms and an improvement in their functioning, but both also completed the study with needs that reached beyond the scope of the study. These changes will be discussed in more detail and in regards to how their presenting issues and functioning difficulties appeared in the artwork created in session. The progression in the art created in session also reflected the participants' improvements occurring during the course of the research protocol. The art created in session will be discussed from the participant/creator's standpoint and from the observation of the researcher. A summary of the study results will be presented, combining objective and subjective data gathered in the research, as will any changes the protocol underwent resulting from the protocol's application and/or participant feedback. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the challenges and limitations of the research study in addition to suggestions for further research and replication of this study. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Art Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2010. / June 23, 2010. / Short-Term Protocol, Trauma, Art Therapy / Includes bibliographical references. / Marcia Rosal, Professor Directing Thesis; David Gussak, Committee Member; Tom Anderson, Committee Member; Dina Ricco, Committee Member.

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This research, as a multiple-participant case study, has explored the integration of Self Psychology and art therapy with three women who have disorders of self known as Narcissistic Behaviour Disorders. These disorders are defined in Self Psychology by the presence of perversion, addiction and/or delinquency that represent the enactment of fantasies that are markedly and decidedly narcissistic in nature. In this thesis, only addiction and perversion were considered feasible for psychotherapy in which the integration of Self Psychology and art therapy were achieved. The findings of this research support this integration as a form of psychotherapy that is successful in treating women who can be diagnosed as having Narcissistic Behaviour Disorders. In the case of the abuse of alcohol, the abuse of food and the presence of sexual self-mutilation, this integration was found to provide patient-participants with the opportunity to use the art as external, healthy transitional selfobjects that could replace the external ersatz selfobjects of food and alcohol and the objects that had become sexualised as part of the perversion. In breaking from findings on treating addiction within Self Psychology, this research provided evidence to support the use of the transitional selfobjects in the form of art within the self-selfobject relationship with the psychotherapist-researcher. This finding backs the move to the use of transference and the self-selfobject psychotherapeutic relationship as the guiding context for psychotherapy, while moving away from the notion that people with Narcissistic Behaviour Disorders should use the psychotherapist for the purposes of healing. Instead, the emphasis in the current findings is that the art can be used within the therapeutic relationship, providing two forms of selfobjects for the patient, each with a different purpose. This research has generated guidelines for psychotherapists and art therapists who wish to integrate art therapy and Self Psychology. An absence of literature in art therapy based on the paradigm of Self Psychology has made these guidelines a working model that will need further refinement and research. These guidelines are derived from the analysis of data that revealed how the integration of Self Psychology and art therapy articulated and manifested the diagnosis, understanding and treatment of three women with Narcissistic Behaviour Disorders in long-term art therapy informed by Self Psychology. / Prof. H.G. Pretorius