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.

The purpose of this research was to explore cultural similarities and differences that could be found from analyzing the images of the Kinetic Family Drawing and their accompanying narratives. The current literature on the Kinetic Family Drawing as an assessment tool and the literature on the role of culture in psychotherapy were examined. The researchers have collected Kinetic Family Drawing images and narratives from groups of college students from the United States and groups of college students from two different areas in Mexico. Participants were asked to perform the Kinetic Family Drawing, title the drawing, write a brief narrative about the drawing, and list any cultural affiliations that may aid in contextualizing the drawing. Researchers used the Kinetic Family Drawings and the accompanying narratives collected to look for similarities and differences in perceptions of family among the different cultures and the ways in which environment and culture may impact family and family perceptions

This arts-based research investigated the personal responses of a trainee art therapist working with displaced refugees in Jordan. This inquiry is based on the belief that it is important for a new trainee to cultivate a broader appreciation of cross-cultural issues for both personal and professional applications. The art-based data, analyzed through Betensky's (1995) phenomenological approach, inspired a profound exploration of the refugee experience while simultaneously exploring the role and identity of the trainee. The author presented seven prominent themes that emerged from the refugee and trainee experiences: displacement, survival, connection, loss of control, safety, competence, and countertransference. Between both refugee and trainee there are three main shared themes, (a) connection, (b) loss of control, and (c) safety, which highlight shared meeting points of empathy. The research highlights meeting points and differences between the trainee and refugees to provide a deeper understanding of the refugee experience as understood by the trainee. The results of this research strive to provide insight into the ways art-making can help trainees navigate through cross-cultural encounters.

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”.

This capstone project explores the themes and principles of the Clinical Art Therapy MFT graduate program at Loyola Marymount University to a clinical case study. The purpose of the study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the connections between academic learning and its clinical application, and to illustrate the role of academic learning in identity formation for a student. It incorporates the therapist’s own art making process as a part of the inquiry strategy. Personal identity, as defined by Mason and Vella (2013) are “those things that distinguish individuals from each other”, and which may require effort “something to be invented rather than discovered” (p.236). In art making, the process and the creation of the art product support the assumption that the creation of identity involves an internalization of social influence and it requires invention. Identity formation in children, according to social theory, occurs in context of the family, and significant others, whereas values and attitudes about self place them in society. Art teachers can use this to help “problematize mythical and stereotypical representations of childhood and family relations and increase awareness of multiple viewpoints (Trafl, 2008). These viewpoints can be reflected upon in art therapy increasing self-awareness by contemplating alternative viewpoints and perspectives in a supportive environment. Cognitive psychologists understand self-awareness as a key indicator of personal identity (Leary and Tangney,2003. p3). Henriques views the human ego as a self-awareness system (as cited in Schaffer, 2005, p. 50), with the capacity to use ones mind as an analogy of the minds of others, including differences in perspective and in recognizing the limits of what others know (p.50). According to Mason and Vella (2013), individuals develop a self-image via their reflection very early in life, and they may decide to change themselves due to the judgments of the people they interact with, or perhaps, rebel against change. These stages of development transform identity. The self-portrait can assist in one’s examination of one’s changing self and evolving self-schema contributing to self-awareness in the context of the therapeutic relationship. Charles Horton Cooley, interested in the development of the self, formulated The Looking Glass Self-Theory (as cited in Schaffer, 2005, p.53) which posits that people’s self-image is based on how they suppose others perceive them, and that the looking glass self is actually the product of an active process of construction through the developing mode of imagination (p.53). This phenomenon can play out in the therapeutic relationship as transference and counter-transference, and can be used to examine personal identity in the process of reflecting upon one self, in the supposition of how the other perceives them. The art therapist’s identity evolves in the context of the therapeutic relationship, whereas she is providing her self to the other, and in her understanding of how she is perceived by the other, that her self-awareness and self identity becomes known to her.

This research examined the usefulness of art therapy techniques in the assessment of attachment in couples treatment. This case illustration consisted of one couple who were invited to complete four questionnaires, participate in individual and joint art making tasks. The participants also engaged in conversation and discussion about their art and their experience throughout the art making process. The data was then analyzed and categorized into three emerging themes: (1) Relational dynamic between participants (2) Relationship and response to the art, and (3) Integration of shared and personal experiences. Through the discussion of themes, researchers found that art techniques, specifically the nonverbal joint drawing task, was a beneficial and useful tool to assess a couple’s attachment.

This study discusses the intergenerational impact of mass incarceration on families. The general literature repeatedly described the negative effects of mass incarceration among children who have an incarcerated parent by pointing to the difficulty of educational attainment, social exclusion, stigma, substance abuse, and the exacerbation of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and antisocial behavior (Kjellstrand & Eddy, 2011; Miller & Barnes, 2015; Turney, 2014). Unfortunately, most incarcerated individuals are parents and most incarcerated women are mothers (Scudder, A., et al., 2014, and Miller, et al., 2014). Through the use of art, service providers (artists, clinicians, etc.) that facilitate parent based programs in correctional facilities or re-entry programs can alleviate the trauma caused by incarceration that affect the emotional and mental well-being of families. Two organizations that provide art programs to incarcerated parents participated in a qualitative study about the effective use of art in their programs. Themes from the interviews discussed the value of cultural humility, as well as the role of social justice and restorative justice frameworks when providing art-based programs for parents. The lack of trust, compassion, and empathy were barriers in the process of delivering services to families. Since the creative process is inherently inclusive and actively engages its participants (e.g., therapists, patients, observers), the results of this study point to art creation as a vehicle that promotes trusts and supports family relationship restoration in order to intercept the cycles of intergenerational trauma.

This qualitative case study explores the long-term effects of domestic violence through the lens of art therapy treatment. The study is based on a twelve-week long art therapy treatment group for women who have experienced domestic violence. The study includes a literature review and a qualitative analysis of the participants’ artwork and details of their experiences of domestic violence related trauma. The research focuses on two participants and utilizes textual and visual analysis to identify four emergent themes: Family and identity, hope in moving forward, support and connection, and freedom. The findings discuss the value of art therapy in revealing coping skills, strengths and internalized fears related to domestic violence trauma. The women in the study illuminate an increase in awareness of internal resources and hopeful narratives for healing. The study demonstrates the potential of art therapy to make visible the long-term effect of domestic violence, and assist in the treatment of survivors.

The COVID-19 pandemic provides an important opportunity to understand how parenting stress during social crisis may predict child feeding practices and perceptions of child mealtime behaviors. The objective of the present study was to explore whether parents’ perceived increases in and overall levels of parenting stress during the pandemic were associated with controlling feeding practices and perceptions of child eating behaviors. Parents (n = 284) of 4–6-year-old children completed a cross-sectional online survey between March and April 2020. The survey assessed parents’ perceived change in parenting stress during the onset of the pandemic and levels of parenting stress during the pandemic (via the Parenting Stress Scale), as well as child feeding practices (via the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire), and children’s eating behaviors (via the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire). Ordinal linear regressions were used examine whether changes in and levels of parenting stress predicted use of controlling or responsive feeding practices and parents’ perceptions of child eating behaviors. The majority (63.7%, n = 181) of parents indicated their family was moderately or extremely emotionally affected by the pandemic and 56.7% (n = 161) indicated pandemic-related precautions had been moderately or extremely challenging. Perceived increases in parenting stress during the onset of the pandemic were associated with more frequent use of food as a reward (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.04 – 1.26) and for emotional regulation (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04 – 1.23), as well as low child food responsiveness (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84 – 0.99) and lower odds of slow eating (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.84 – 1.00). Higher overall levels of parenting stress were associated with more frequent use of food as a reward (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02 – 1.08) and for emotional regulation (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.03 – 1.08) but also with use of pressuring feeding practices (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01 – 1.06) and encouraging a balanced diet less frequently (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01 – 1.06). Higher overall levels of parenting stress were associated with greater child food fussiness (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02 – 1.08), low enjoyment of food (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02 – 1.07), and low satiety responsiveness (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.93 – 0.98). During the COVID-19 pandemic, increases in and high levels of parenting stress predicted parents’ use of food for emotion and behavioral regulation, but also with various domains of children’s eating behaviors. Results highlight the need for targeted efforts to support families during social crisis.