Background. This paper reviews the efficacy of a community psychosocial arts program focused on building mental health capacity within post-Ebola Liberia. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the outcome effects of two groups using pre- and post-treatment data. We hypothesized that there would be a difference in symptoms pre- and post-treatment, and the longer program would yield more significant results. Methods. There was a total of 870 child participants. Of 40 sites, 24 were selected for a 5-month treatment (TG1) while the remaining 16 sites received 3 months of treatment (TG2). Paired t tests and a mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse pre- and post-psychological stress symptoms (PSS) for samples from both groups. Results. Separately, treatment group 1 (TG1) and treatment group 2's (TG2) paired t test yielded significant results (p < 0.001) for the decrease of PSS. The mixed-model ANOVA found that there were significant differences in total pre- and post-test PSS and a significant difference in PSS means over time. Conclusions. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant decrease in reported symptoms in both treatment groups pre- to post-intervention and a significant difference in total symptoms over time. However, the findings do not indicate that the longer programming was statistically different compared to the shorter programming. The study presented had gaps in data, largely due to limits in research during the crisis. However, this paper provides a unique case study for challenges that can be faced for project evaluation in emergency settings.

This qualitative study examines how art interventions are aligned and integrated with emotionally focused therapy (EFT; Johnson, 2020) in the treatment of relational distress with couples. EFT is a brief humanistic evidence-based treatment, grounded in attachment theory, with experiential and systemic approaches to intervention that engage underlying emotion to create more secure bonds. Notably scant literature exists blending art-based and verbal approaches in EFT, despite the importance of verbal imagery in EFT intervention and the experiential nature of expressive therapies. In this study, NVivo qualitative data analysis software facilitated thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with five clinicians who integrate the two approaches. Theory-driven analysis with skills of the Emotion-Focused Therapy-Therapist Fidelity Scale (EFT-TFS; Denton et al., 2009) examined alignment and divergence from the EFT model. Patterns in the data revealed a conceptual framework for integrating art interventions with EFT that prioritized fidelity to the EFT model. This framework provides structure and language to describe art interventions in a granular way at the session level, with considerations for the progression of treatment through the steps and stages of EFT in the context of considerations for the therapeutic alliance. This framework has wide applications in clinical practice, teaching, and empirical inquiry integrating art interventions with EFT.

Various emotional well-being issues often arise in college students. Participation in creative activities, regardless of previous art experience, contributes to a significant decrease in cortisol levels, resulting in less stress. However, to better understand the impact of art therapy related activities on well-being, it is important to examine what specific areas of emotional well-being may be applied to specific art activities. The Make and Take Mondays Program was implemented through the East Tennessee State University Counseling Center and provided students with the opportunity to participate in seven different art therapy related activities. Each activity examined a specific area of emotional well-being, which consisted of the following: balance stones, stress-relief hemp bracelets, self-awareness magnets, mindfulness painting, mental health awareness rock painting, gratitude journals and self-expression prayer flags. Students were then given informational handouts in reference to research on each specific activity, information about the counseling resources available on campus and the opportunity to complete an optional quick survey and/or additional survey. As a result of implementing the Make and Take Mondays program and compiling survey results, it was determined that the majority of students found the program to be helpful and reported feeling calm and positive while participating in the activities. It was also determined that art therapy related activities may be contrived to address specific areas of emotional well-being, which can lead to a decrease in emotional well-being issues in college students.

Through the lens of a participatory design (PD) approach, this study explored to find qualifying features and qualities of digital art materials, specifically art apps on iPads for art therapy use. The study comprised of two phases: 1) a questionnaire/interview of four art therapists using iPads with clients and 2) four separate focus groups with 15 art therapist and art therapist trainee participants involving multiple stages of cyclic feedback. The focus groups engaged in art directives with nine art making apps identified by the researcher and questionnaire respondents as potentially useful in art therapy. The results revealed that while there was no single commercial art app that satisfied the needs of all art therapists and vast range of clients’ technology skills, artistic abilities, stylistic preferences, and therapeutic needs, three distinct qualities and six concrete features of an “ideal” art app for art therapy use emerged. Additionally, the study’s results expanded the parameters of art therapy’s artmaking practice and visual vocabulary by illustrating digital art media’s potential therapeutic and expressive use. And most importantly, the protection of privacy and confidentiality of client’s digital artwork emerged as one of the most important issue to consider. While this paper discusses the limitless possibilities of digital art media’s meaningful usage in art therapy, it also acknowledges how its unique characteristics may require thoughtful limitations and restrictions.

This research explores the therapeutic characteristics of the art‟s sensory properties in art therapy treatment for children with developmental trauma. The researcher used interview as a method for gathering data in the qualitative research design. Two art therapists were interviewed individually in order to gain a deeper understanding about the research topic. The participants were selected based on their knowledge and practice utilizing art therapy in cases related to developmental trauma. The data gathered were coded and analyzed for emergent findings. The researcher finds that sensory-based art therapy facilitates regulation of affect and behavior, attachment repair, and the potential to process trauma memory through regression in the art. Also, the therapist‟s role as a witness for the client and a provider of a safe holding space is found to be a crucial component in sensory-based art therapy. These findings suggest implications for clinical practice and the careful construction of sensory-based art therapy according to the client‟s developmental age. Regression stimulated by loose art media may be a key component of trauma treatment. In order to regulate a child‟s affect and behavior, the art material and its quantity must be carefully selected based on its inherent sensory properties. Containment and attachment repair as the overarching goals of the art therapy treatment may also influence the selection of which art materials may be utilized. The researcher recommends a broader research study to explore treatment implications concerning sensory-based art interventions for children with developmental trauma.

This study explores a beginning clinician’s use of art and journaling to process case material, clarify countertransference, identify signs of compassion fatigue and illuminate instances of personal growth. The clinician used a mixed methodology in her research including both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The quantitative analysis consisted of a battery of valid and reliable, evidence-based, self-administered tests at the beginning and end of data collection to measure compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction. The qualitative analysis involved the clinician making art and keeping a journal over 10 weeks’ time as tools to process and clarify case material and countertransference. These materials were then converted into data sets for comparative analysis. Research questions were adapted from two previous studies related to a beginning clinician’s experiences of countertransference (Arbas, 2008, Karner, 2011). To inform this study the literature review discusses special considerations for clinicians working with dying patients and their families. These include, but are not limited to, the need for an existential, humanistic, and flexible therapeutic approach; grief interventions for bereaved clients and clinicians; and specialized approaches and considerations related to transference and countertransference. The study also discusses how art and journaling can not only be used to process clinical material but also as an effective method of self care for the beginning clinician. The personal art made in response to case material and countertransference as well as the journal entries conveyed the responses of a beginning clinician working in a second-year practicum with dying patients of all ages and socioeconomic levels, and their families. The analysis identifies themes of countertransference relating to personal loss, personal family dynamics, and personal existential issues. It also shows evidence of an increase in both compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction. The data analysis in the study indicates that art has helped the beginning clinician clarify case material, identify countertransference, reduce emotional buildup, become aware of personal growth as a result of the work, and better attend to clients and clinical work. These findings correlate with findings of several other authors (Arbas, 2008, Deaver & Shiflett, 2011, Fish, 2012, Hardy, 2008, Harter, 2007, Karner, 2011, Miller, 2007, Wadeson, 2010)

The goal of this research was to understand the potential challenges and benefits of an integration between art and sex therapies. Three interviews were performed: two with certified art therapists, one with a certified sex therapist, in order to understand how each of these professionals has chosen to approach issues of sexuality and creative expression within his or her practice. The data from the interviews was critically compared within and between each interviewee, producing three overarching themes that provide a framework for understanding the potential benefits and challenges of this integration. These three themes are defined as: 1) The importance of theoretical training and scope of practice in unlocking sexuality; 2) Opening the door to sex and sexuality in clinical work using creative expression; and 3) Concerns and challenges for the clinician using artistic expression with sexuality. Through discussion of these themes, it was found that there is great potential for an integration of the two therapies, provided clinicians have access to appropriate training, as well as a deeper understanding of individual attitudes toward sexuality as provided by cultural experience.

In this study, 5 women with co-occurring DSM-IV-TR diagnoses in a residential treatment center for homeless veterans and their families received group mindfulness oriented art therapy during an 8-week intervention. Two of the participants were utilized in this case study research to explore how a mindfulness can be implemented in group art therapy and what impact this may have for the female veterans. The study included a qualitative analysis of the veteran’s artwork and the participants’ account of their own behavior. The findings revealed that participants used the art process to express a developing awareness of avoidance and denial often associated with both substance abuse and PTSD. The participants’ artwork and self-reports indicated enhanced flexibility in focus of attention, self-awareness, and self-regulation. The study demonstrated the potential of mindfulness oriented art therapy for enhancing healthy coping strategies.

This research examined the emergence of transference and countertransference within an interracial client-therapist relationship. The literature reviewed in this paper encompasses the different manifestations of transference and countertransference within the therapeutic space, cultural transference and countertransference, the way in which culture presents itself within the therapeutic environment, and the emergence of culture within the art psychotherapy relationship (in the case of this research, the focus was on areas of race and ethnicity as it pertains to culture). A case study approach was utilized with an 8-year-old Hispanic female and her family who received services from an African American art therapist. The findings indicate that [cultural] transference and countertransference are inevitable and should be closely monitored. The findings also suggest that art can serve as an effective tool for highlighting cultural factors. The research reinforced that cultural themes will naturally manifest as treatment progresses, and the dismissal of these cultural matters can result in negative consequences for the client, therapist, and the therapeutic relationship. This research also highlights the lack of attention given to culture within therapy, the need for more therapists to become trained in areas of culture to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse clientele, and for a greater sensitivity and attunement to cultural issues.

This study uses heuristic research as the basis for an art exploration into the experience of exposure to traumatic events leading to complex trauma, from early adolescence to adulthood. This paper reviews the existing literature about Islamic religious fundamentalism, political violence and war. The literature on risk factors and the effect on this type of trauma psychology, human rights and women’s rights are discussed. The literature review considers psychological treatment considerations and existing art therapy literature. In the data gathering phase the researcher employs the Art Therapy Trauma Protocol to examine the residual of violent experiences; this includes a series of paintings created using the bilateral stimulation process. After a period of incubation, the data is further culled and analyzed by using filtering with suggested symbolic meaning from various theorists and literature and personal interpretation drawn from dominant themes. This analysis happened during Illumination and Explication phases of the study. The finding of this study supports that the effect of the traumatic life experiences during adolescence has caused splitting in the researcher. This research asserts that using the art therapy method (ATTP) in combination with the heuristic methodology has helped the researcher to gain clarity about herself and provided a new perspective and schema about self and the world. The research process has helped the researcher to gain a holistic sense of herself as thriving after the traumatic life experiences rather switching between the split selves of the victim and survivor.