Art Therapy

The purpose of the study is to address the need to support communication skills for adolescents on the autism spectrum. This exploration is achieved through the presentation of past research that highlight the importance of creative procedures to stimulate social skills building. The following information will also investigate the nuances of autism in adolescent individuals, previous social skills group methods, and a new curriculum that proposes effective strategies for social advancement through artmaking and exhibition work.

Currently, there is a severe lack of research on the effects of racial stress and trauma on racially and ethnically marginalized people. This is especially true for adolescent youth, whose primary psychosocial task is identity formation. This research seeks to explore the importance of racial-ethnic identity formation, as well as how to ethically address the effects of racial trauma through a trauma-informed art therapy curriculum. Gaps in treatment for racial stress and trauma, as well as the use of an art therapy treatment approach, are identified. Theoretical frameworks, such as Erikson’s Psychosocial Developmental Stages, Multicultural Therapy, and TF-CBT are all explored to establish a foundation for the curriculum. A review and analysis of related research regarding racial trauma, external factors in school and the community, and art therapy addressing racial trauma are all included. In addition to a breakdown of the curriculum, the methodology section outlines an 8-week closed group, with TF-CBT as the main theoretical foundation. It also provides insight into the benefits, limitations, and areas of further research for fostering the development of a racial-ethnic identity in youth of Color.

The present research focused on the treatment of female veterans with co-occurring post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. Through an investigation of the needs of female veterans and the current treatments available for post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder, it was determined that an art therapy group curriculum could address all these unique facets. A group art therapy curriculum may allow for greater non-verbal expression and peer support than a typical individual treatment plan, while also giving clients a more accessible treatment option while on waitlists for individual, exposure-based treatments. The proposed art therapy curriculum utilizes cognitive behavioral theory, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and psychoeducation to help participants change unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns that contribute to their symptoms without having to delve into trauma focused work. Further research is needed to determine if the proposed curriculum is helpful in reducing the symptoms of post-traumatic stress and substance use disorders.

A postcard exchange art therapy program was developed to improve the emotional wellbeing and hospitalization experience for pediatric patients. The literature was reviewed to explore the central themes of the pediatric patient hospitalization experience; art therapy within the medical setting; positive psychology and positive art therapy; and mail art, art exchange, and connectivity. The research suggests a growing need to continue to find effective ways to provide additional emotional support to children in these difficult circumstances. By developing program resources that combine these aspects, art therapists may offer additional support to enhance holistic wellness and the hospitalization experience for pediatric patients.

This paper is an informational resource guide to facilitating art therapy interventions, using the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) as a framework with adults living with anxiety and/or depressive disorders. It provides a literature review summarizing the ETC, neurobiological functioning, anxiety and depressive disorders and current mental health treatments. Lastly, it offers selections of art therapy interventions for art therapists to use as a foundation to guide individual treatment planning based of the client’s specific presentation on the ETC.