Darbe atlikta teorinė elgesio ir emocijų sunkumų turinčių vaikų samprata, sutrikimų atsiradimo priežastys, dailės terapijos galimybės bendravimo įgūdžių plėtojimui, analizė. Kvazieksperimento metodu atliktas tyrimas, kurio tikslas - ištirti dailės terapijos poveikį bendravimo įgūdžių plėtojimui, ugdant priešmokyklinio amžiaus vaikus, turinčius elgesio ir emocijų sunkumų. Atlikta matematinė aprašomoji duomenų analizė, pateikta naudojant atvejo analizės metodą. Tyrime dalyvavo patogiuoju būdu atrinkti 9 priešmokyklinio amžiaus vaikai, turintys elgesio ir emocijų sunkumų, kurie sudarė tikslinę grupę. Empirinėje dalyje analizuoti stebėjimo protokoluose užfiksuoti duomenys apie bendravimo įgūdžių raišką, dinamiką dailės terapijos sesijos metu, stebėtas poveikis. Diagnostinių piešinių testais analizuota ugdytinių bendravimo įgūdžių požymių kaita. Ieškota bendravimo įgūdžių požymių piešiniuose bei bendravimo įgūdžių duomenų, fiksuotų stebėjimo protokoluose, sąsajos. Atlikus tyrimo duomenų analizę, suformuluotos pagrindinės išvados: • Stebėjimo protokolų duomenys parodė tendenciją dailės terapijos sesijų metu pasireikšti pozityviai bendravimo raiškai. • pirminio ir baigiamojo diagnostinių H-T-P piešinių rezultatai atskleidė bendravimo požymių piešiniuose kitimą teigiama linkme. Žemos savivertės, agresyvumo, depresyvumo požymių, įtakojančių žemą bendravimo poreikį ar neigiamą bendravimo raišką, sumažėjo, o bendravimo poreikio požymių padaugėjo. / The paper deals with theoretical analysis of children with emotional and behavioral difficulties and opportunities of art therapy in developing communication skills. The purpose of investigation was to find out whether art therapy has a positive effect on the development of communication skills of preschool children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Quasi-experimental method was used to investigate art therapy effect. The mathematical descriptive analysis of the data was presented using the case study method. The study included 9 preschool children with behavioral and emotional difficulties, target group was selected using convenient way. In empirical part were analyzed data, about resolution skills and dynamics of the art therapy in sessions. By the help of diagnostic drawing tests attributes of communication skills were analyzed and captured in monitoring protocols. After the data analysis, the most important empirical conclusions that were drawn are: 1. Performed experiment revealed positive effect of art therapy on the development of social and communication skills. 2. Monitoring protocols showed a tendency to unfold the expression of positive communication 3. H-T-P drawing test results revealed positive direction. Low self-esteem, aggression, depressive symptoms, affecting the low need for communication or expression of negative communication decreased after experiment.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of kunsterapie wei suksesvol aangewend kan word met die anorexia nervosa-lyer. Daar is spesifiek gefokus op die verbetering van die selfkonsep van die adolessent met anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa en kunsterapie is bespreek. Daar is aandag gegee aan die spesifieke kenmerke wat kuns geskik maak vir terapeutiese aanwending in die bebandeling van die anorexia nervosa-lyer. Die praktiese toepassing van kunsterapie is uiteengesit met die Jdem op kunsterapeutiese tegnieke wat fokus op die verbetering van die selfkonsep van die adolessent met anorexia nervosa. Twee adolessente wat met anorexia nervosa gediagnoseer is, is as proefpersone vir die studie gebruik. Die Adolessente-Selfkonsepskaal (ASKS) en die Sacks Sinsvoltooiingsmedium is as voor- en natoetse ingeskakel om die stand van die twee proetpersone se selfkonsep te bepaal. Kunsterapie is vir twaalf sessies met die proefpersone gedoen. Uit die navorsingsresultate is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat kunsterapie gelei het tot 'n verbetering rakende aspekte van die seltkonsep van die adolessent met anorexia nervosa. Kunsterapie is positief beleef deur die proefpersone. Gevoelens kon op 'n nie-bedreigende manier geeksploreer word en onopgeloste situasies kon met vrymoedigheid aangespreek word. / The aim of this study was to assess and describe the potential value of art therapy as an intervention strategy for the treatment of adolescents suffering from anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa was described and defined. Diagnostic criteria, the manifestation and contributory causes, as well as the treatment and the prognosis for recovery, were discussed. Art therapy, as well as specific therapeutic techniques suitable for the anorexia nervosa sufferer were explained. The specific objective of the study was to determine the influence of certain art therapy techniques on the self-concept of two adolescents suffering from anorexia nervosa. The results indicated that there were significant changes in the self-concept of the two adolescents. Art therapy can be an effective therapeutic intervention strategy for the adolescent suffering from anorexia nervosa and gives the client the opportunity to come to tenns with the self in a non-threatening way. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

This research is a qualitative exploration of the impacts of Loyola Marymount’s Summer Arts Workshop from the perspective of the youth participant’s teachers and caregivers. The intention of this research was to compare findings in the literature of similar youth arts programs to LMU’s through examination of a previously unexplored perspective. Data was collected through an arts based focus group as well as paper-pencil questionnaires including both Likert scale and open ended questions. Themes emerged through thorough analysis of all data collected and presented both themes of specific program impacts and opportunities for future program improvements. The findings of this research further illuminate established assertions found within the literature of prosocial impacts produced within youth participation in community arts programs. Additionally upon expansion of emergent themes, the researcher established the findings of LMU’s Summer Arts Program to positively impact adolescents and identity development, generate gains in social capital and produce positive community impacts through art making.

As second-year graduate students from LMU’s Art Therapy program, we are excited to introduce the focus of our Master’s research project, a concept we coined as exhibition as intervention. Our goal is to create a space that brings awareness to the possibilities of exhibition to amplify the voice and increase empathy between artist and viewer. Originally, our vision was to hold the exhibition at Cedars-Sinai to supplement the 2020 Art Therapy Research Symposium. With COVID-19 placing restrictions on public gatherings, the exhibition had to transform from a physical experience to a virtual one. The catalog which began as our secondary focus to the exhibition, shifted to become the primary source of communicating our intentions. Informed by the literature of our research, we felt a catalog best collected and organized the data, which in this case was the artwork submitted. It is our great privilege to present this catalog with the works of artists engaging in the creative process to make meaning of their experiences with cancer.

As the state of the world continues to evolve through means of social justice and technology, the discussion of cultural humility as the evolution of cultural competence is a growing topic in the field of mental health and the art therapy community. The following mixed- method research explores the impact of art materials, group processes, and creative practices in the development of cultural humility. Six graduate students from the Marital and Family Art Therapy Program at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) designed the following collaborative ethnography. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data to answer the question: How can group art-based practices (e.g., materials, group processes) develop cultural humility among art therapists? The data collected include pre and post-survey statistics in addition to art responses and dialogue reflection. The data revealed that art-based group processes and the intentional choice of material may facilitate the growth surrounding the four principles of cultural humility. Critical self-reflection was achieved through a deep exploration of individual experiences surrounding socioeconomic status, race, colonialism, gender, family, and spirituality. Participants were able to readdress the power imbalance by taking on the role of participant and facilitator taking into consideration how information and materials are both presented and received. Through group art-making, sharing, and discussing systemic changes, participants developed partnerships with communities and maintained institutional accountability. In order to build upon our findings, we propose future research on group-based art practices with mental health professionals and trainees that focus on the development of cultural humility in different social and environmental contexts.

Therapeutic outcomes are explored in a series of case studies where art therapy and storytelling interventions are used with clients. Stories utilized in the study include picture book stories, fairytales, and self-generated narratives. Additionally, the study’s participants created art responses that took such forms as illustrations and altered books. Research questions that were investigated were: When children receiving art therapy engage with stories created by others or the author, how do they respond?; When children receiving art therapy create their own stories, how do they respond?; and Is there archetypal or other psychologically meaningful content in the author’s picture book? Main subjects of the study were clients ages 9 to 12 receiving individual and group therapy services from the author at The Whole Child in Whittier, California. The author was also a subject in the study. She studied her picture book for significant content. A case study approach was used to highlight themes of psychological or therapeutic relevance for all participants. Biographical data as well as responses to interventions were recorded in assessment and progress notes. Additionally, the therapist shared a piece of her own creative writing for each case study in order to understand clients through the storytelling process. Then the biographical data, story, art responses, and creative writing pieces were studied to look for any connections and to draw conclusions. Based on these results, it appears that sharing pre-existing stories with clients or asking clients to create their own stories has therapeutic value. Not only did these interventions appear to aid clients’ expressions, but they also helped the therapist gain important understandings about clients. Similar analysis of the author’s picture book brought to light themes of psychological importance that increased her self-understanding.

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes and beliefs of art therapists towards Evidence-Based Practices (EBP). EBP is a rising trend in healthcare that refers to the process of using empirically validated research to make clinical decisions that best meet the needs of each client (Patterson, Miller, Carnes & Wilson, 2004).The investigators used a mixed methods approach to the research topic. Part A consists of a survey distributed to graduates of the Department of Marital and Family Therapy (MFT) at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). In addition to answering questions, survey participants were asked to create an art response depicting their perspective on the relationship between art therapy and EBP. In the second phase (Part B), the researchers used an arts-based methodology to further explore the findings from Part A. Part B involved the creation of key idea cards pulled from the literature review and the findings, individual art responses by each investigator, and verbal and written analyses of the content and process. The idea that art therapists are already integrating EBP and art therapy in their practices emerged as the major finding of the research. This realization that clinicians are already at the intersection of EBP and art therapy was a contrast to the cautious divided attitudes that were discovered in the literature review. Further research could not only strengthen the evidence base of art therapy, but also illuminate how exactly therapists have managed to bridge the gap between EBP and art therapy.

This research paper explores the use of creative arts therapies with children and families in a pediatric hospital setting as experienced by the therapists who provide these services. The research investigates art therapy, music therapy and dance/movement therapy at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), with an in depth consideration of the role of art therapy services in this setting. The researchers reviewed general literature regarding hospitalization, specifically its effects on children and families, availability and role of psychosocial services and the intensive care units (ICU). Literature discussing creative arts therapies (art therapy, music therapy and dance/movement therapy) was also reviewed, with a focus on art therapy and its role in medical settings with children/families, with pediatric cancer patients and in psychosocial services. Based on information gleaned from the literature review, the researchers crafted an online survey utilized to gather information regarding the experience of providing creative arts therapies in a pediatric hospital setting. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with three selected survey respondents to further explore these experiences through interview questions and art making. The qualitative data from survey/interview responses, including the art, was reviewed and analyzed by the researchers. Analysis of the data resulted in five prominent themes from the online survey data: being present, family, support, change and identity. Four prominent themes emerged from the interview data: empowerment, culture, being present and identity. The researchers then examined these themes in the context of the general and art therapy literature. The meanings derived from these findings demonstrate the importance of continued and expanded use of creative arts therapies in pediatric hospitals.

This study explores how Landgarten’s Family Art Assessment can provide clinicians with valuable information about families that can be used to advocate for the needs of the children in the family. A comprehensive literature review covers family assessments using art developed by Psychologists, family art assessments created by art therapists, and the benefits of using them in clinical treatment. The researcher utilized a qualitative research approach. The data gathering took the form of surveys and semi-structured interviews with clinicians at a community mental health agency following their participation/observation in a Family Art Assessment administered to a family on their caseload by a board certified art therapist. The researcher used textual analysis of the interview transcription to identify emergent themes. The emergent themes included: the impact of domestic violence, power dynamic, disconnection, and the therapist’s efforts to increase connection and communication in the family. Study findings indicate that Family Art Assessments, when used as a consultation service administered by an experienced art therapist, can serve as an invaluable tool to provide clinicians with a more complete understanding of the families they are treating quicker than verbal therapy assessment methods alone. The findings also indicate that the Family Art Assessment helped clinicians conceptualize their cases from a more systemic perspective that considers the children’s environment and relational patterns within the family as contributing to their problem behaviors and symptoms, and allowed clinicians to envision a path in treatment that included advocating for the children’s needs.

This research explores the impact of a three day Artist Residency Program at a K-8th public school on a Native American Reservation. The program is evaluated through a lens of Social Action Art Therapy and aims to uncover how this program impacted a community— including teachers, students, and parents, and facilitators. The researcher examined social action literature, social action art literature, social action art therapy literature, as well as social action with Native Americans literature. The researcher used a qualitative approach, specifically an Inquisitive Case study, in which data was collected through the researchers notes. These notes then informed the creation of a survey that was given to teachers as well as the Artist Residency program facilitators. Next, the researcher conducted interviews for further examination of the impact. All the data was placed into an organizing table in which four main themes and three minor themes emerged. The resulting data themes include: 1) Art illuminated the students Native American Hoopa identity and culture, 2) art increased student participation, facilitated storytelling, and conversations about the student’s feelings and art provided a sense of agency, 3) art created and strengthened bonds among the students, teachers, parents and facilitators and facilitators were seen as role models for the students, and 4) the facilitator’s desire to be involved in similar art therapy social action projects increased as they were personally and professionally impacted by the Artist Residency Program. Three minor themes include: a) Some teachers found new ways to integrate art in their classroom, b) the foreign art medium choice increased risk taking, engagement, creativity as well as provided students with new skills, c) some changes noted, more time needed to see larger change. These themes were then examined in the context of art therapy social action literature and findings suggested positive impacts of the social action art therapy informed Artist Residency program.