This research project explores the use of photography in the therapeutic setting as a means to develop one’s identity as an emerging adult. It contains a literature review that synthesizes the existing research on the developmental stage of emerging adulthood, identity formation, art therapy with adolescents, and photo art therapy. The research project is an art-based, heuristic study of the researcher’s journey of identity formation through examining old photographs and creating new ones. The findings suggest that the use of photography in the therapeutic setting can enhance one’s identity development by allowing self-confrontation through self-portraits, permitting the review of past events via archival photographs, and providing the individual with an objective view of him- or herself.

The purpose of this art therapy research is to explore the experiences of Latino immigrant men to have a more cohesive understanding of their mental health needs. The study utilizes a focus group of eight Latino men. This study seeks to understand the prevalence of poor mental health in the population and the coping methods used for psychological distress. The study also intends to gain information regarding psychological stress prior to migration, during the actual migration experience, and the psychosocial and psychological challenges after migrating. In addition, the study analyzes the family influences of mental health in relation to male gender roles. Through the art, the men were able to create narratives that described their experiences as Latino male immigrants. The men spoke about the emotional difficulties of leaving their homeland. The men also discussed the loneliness and financial instability they experiences when they first arrived to the country as immigrants. The men were also able to recognize some of their strengths and accomplishment. In addition, the men emphasized the importance of God and family in establishing happiness.

This research is an exploration of one art therapist’s journey into the somatic experience of trauma in art therapy treatment. An interview approach provided the opportunity for data collection through a rich dialogue in which the interviewee presented client art along with narrative discussion of the art therapy treatment. Out of the interview and the presented clinical material the following themes emerged: the presence of an early life trauma that affected the individual during their current functioning even years later, dissociation of the self through developmentally oriented age related experiential understanding of the trauma in memory, physical manifestations while discussing the traumatic event/s, nightmares, dissociation stemming from the traumatic event. In addition, the interview revealed fragmenting within the head region relating to cognition, behavioral characteristics of avoidance, and physical experiences within the stomach and head regions of the body particularly feeling as though oneself is overwhelmed and unable to contain the symptoms. The researcher’s reflective art process resulted in a greater understanding of the data and a deepened comprehension of the subjects.

This case study was conducted with a single elementary student from a non-public school setting with the use of art therapy as a treatment modality. The research explores case material through three different theoretical lenses. Three theories chosen were cognitive behavioral theory, psychodynamic theory, and narrative theory. Four questions were formed from each of the three theories to process the data. During the analysis, it was discovered that the three theories were consistently informing and integrating with each other. The integration demonstrated the potential for the theories to work together. Each theory’s perspective and emphasis was different and the perspectives were enhanced through the integration process. The final theoretical perspectives are explained in the findings.

This study involves an exploration of language acculturation and it’s reflection in the art of Latino American families. For Latino American families, language acculturation involves the processes of English language acquisition, Spanish language maintenance, and the formation of language identity. Included in this text is a literature review that presents articles focusing on the role language plays within Latino American families and articles focusing on the use of art therapy with Latino American populations. This study uses qualitative strategies involving the use of survey questions and phenomenological art based research procedures to gather information about Latino American experiences with language acculturation. Research participants included first generation parents and second generation adolescents from eight Latino American families. Research data consisting of art work and survey responses are used to answer research questions which serve as the framework for data analysis. Based on data collection and analysis, challenge, opportunity, and cultural identity were three prominent themes found to reflect the first and second generation Latino American participants’ experience with language acculturation. For first generation participants, challenges with language acculturation related to language brokering, limited English proficiency, and loss. Both first and second generation participants recognized opportunities associated with language acculturation and bilingualism that included greater social involvement, better employment with increased salary, and an improved sense of security and self-esteem. Second generation participants also conveyed a sense of pride in linguistic and cultural identity which involved the blending of Latino and American cultures.

This research examined the usefulness of art making in exploring sexuality. Specifically, women participating in partners of sex addicts groups and the LGBTQ online community were invited to take an online survey, exploring both visually and verbally discuss how they view their sexuality and how they think others view their sexuality. The data was then analyzed within and between categories to produce three overarching themes: (1) Expressing sexuality: the tension between the self and others (2) The usefulness of art making to explore sexuality, and (3) Limitations and challenges of the study. Through the discussion of the themes, researchers found a dichotomy between how participants see their sexuality and how others see it. Art was found to be a useful device for exploring the emotionality and complexity of sexuality.

This research explores the role of the art therapist in a nonclinical setting. The research dissects the experiences of nine art therapists who participated in an artist residency that was informed by art therapy but was not clinically based. The spectrum of literature reviewed focused on the professional identity of art therapists and therapists as well as social action art therapy and working with Native American cultures. A qualitative approach was utilized through the conduction of a focus group along with four individual interviews, which were both enhanced by a parallel art making process. Analysis of the data resulted in four significant themes: illuminating strengths and activating existing resources, containment, chaos, and finding hope amidst inadequacy. The findings were triangulated with the art therapy literature reviewed on the identity of the art therapist as well as leading art therapists’ visions for the field’s future. The research accentuates the complexity and significance of art therapists participating culturally informed, with underserved communities and redefining their role in order to carry out that purpose. In sum, the research offers insight into how art therapists can creatively and with great sensitivity, “meet clients where they are at”.

The purpose of this study was to better understand how virtues and values affect marital intimacy. Ten married couples were given a marital satisfaction assessment and participated as individuals in 1-1/2 hour interviews which were audiotaped and then transcribed. Using grounded theory and also the constant comparative method, researchers were able to generate a theory involving a core theme of showing love for self and other, which strongly contributes to increased intimacy. This process is connected to living virtues and to becoming other-oriented. Two different ways of "being" were found to be connected both with showing love, living virtues, increasing intimacy: other-orientation (a focus on the other including her well-being) and self-orientation (a primary concern with meeting one's own needs and desires above all else). These orientations were connected with secure attachment style and insecure attachment styles, respectively. Secure attachment was connected with sets of beliefs and thoughts, affect, and behavior characteristic of this way of being that increase security in the relationship. Orientation and attachment style, whether other-oriented and secure or self-oriented and insecure, seemed to be mutually determining. A Virtue Cycle connected with these processes was described, in which one who lives virtues genuinely towards their partner often experiences an increased love for their partner and closeness in the relationship. The receiver often perceives virtuous actions given by her partner to be a sign of his love for her, which leads to feeling loved and feeling closer, and wanting to give to partner which leads her to increase her living of virtues, increasing her other-oreintation. Living of virtues was generally associated with increased intimacy for both Other-oriented and Self-oriented couples, though increases were greater and more lasting in Other-oriented (OO) couples. Implications are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to phenomenologically explore and describe the influence family storytelling has on the formation and transference of beliefs. This study was a case study of one family who was identified as engaging in family storytelling. The participants were selected based on their participation in a 2004 pilot study, "A Phenomenological Examination of Family Recreational Storytelling." The results of the 2004 pilot study were analyzed for belief-centered themes. It was upon those themes that questions for this study were based. For this study it was hypothesized that: 1) storytelling strengthens family bonds and connections; 2) storytelling facilitates the creation of individual and familial beliefs; 3) these beliefs either facilitate or constrain the functioning capability of the family and its individual members; and 4) as this phenomenon is more fully understood, powerful interventions can be utilized by therapists and implemented in the field of marriage and family therapy. For the current study, it was concluded that family storytelling influences beliefs, which in turn affects individual action. Additionally, an individual's overall perspective on life is capable of being shaped by the tone and nature of the stories that children are told by their parents. Finally, this study provided insight into how clinicians can coach families to implement storytelling as a therapeutic intervention. Information regarding how parents used stories and the characteristics of the story, storyteller, and setting was outlined. How children used storytelling to form and establish beliefs was explored.

The cost of health care continues to increase. Based on the biopsychosocial model of heath care, it has been shown that the treatment of psychological and social problems can have a cost offset effect on the cost of medical care. While this offset effect has been shown in an MFT population, there are no known studies that have looked at predictors of the change in medical use by those that receive marital and family therapy. This study looked at psychological and social measures of individuals who received marital and family therapy. These measures were evaluated based on the change from intake to one year post intake using best subsets multiple regression. The model for males showed variables that could be affected using a cognitive or cognitive-behavioral model of therapy. The model for females showed variables that could be affected using the emotionally focused model of therapy. The implications of this study are that a therapist could be the most effective in conjoint therapy if they apply concepts from both cognitive and emotionally focused therapeutic models.