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The Use of Mirroring for Couples Exploring Attuning, Intimacy, Empathy, and Attachment Through Dance/Movement Therapy: A Literature Review
Get PDFThis literature review attempts to address the complex nature of couples work using a dance/movement therapy (DMT) intervention technique called mirroring. This is explored to see if mirroring can advance a couple’s level of attachment, intimacy, empathy, and attunement. The literature review gives an overview of topics such as couples therapy work, DMT, dance/movement therapy for couples (DMT-C), attunement, attachment theory, intimacy, and empathy. The review concludes with a discussion surrounding the DMT intervention of mirroring. The methodology applied focuses on DMT-C as a treatment modality to bring focus on using the mirroring intervention to build attachment and attunement. This therapeutic intervention strategy was designed for couples who have varied attachment styles with the hopes that it will increase intimacy, empathy, and attunement amongst the couple seeking services
Creative Writing and Reading for Groups: Creating with Words, Responding Without Them. A Community Intervention.
Get PDFThis thesis explores creative writing and reading groups for therapeutic purposes from historical, research, and neuroscience perspectives. The purpose was to differentiate creative writing and reading from other writing techniques and to incorporate its resources in a community Expressive Arts Therapy intervention. The benefits of reading, writing, and groups for well-being are described. A creative writing experience as a center of an Expressive Arts Therapy intervention was planned and executed, and its description and results are included. The author advocates for the therapeutic possibilities of language when used as a creative tool
EXPERIENCES WITH COMING OUT: A STUDY OF LGBTQ+ MUSIC STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF MUSIC EDUCATION PEDAGOGY
Get PDFBecause LGBTQ+ people are disclosing their non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender identities at younger ages, music educators should consider how their pedagogical decisions impact an LGBTQ+ person’s decision to disclose their identity (come out). Previous research has explored how to create affirming and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ students to learn within music education spaces. However, past research has been limited on how those decisions impact the LGBTQ+ student’s decision to disclose their identity. I used data from five participants to discover how they perceived music education pedagogical practices and how those practices facilitated or hindered their decision to disclose their LGBTQ+ identity. The findings from this study show that positive, affirming, and inclusive pedagogical practices which contribute to positive relationships with teachers may have an influence on LGBTQ+ students’ sense of well-being and identity which contributes in some way to their decision to disclose
Exploring the Effects of Trance States Through Ritual, Kriya Yoga, and Expressive Arts for Adults with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Get PDFstruggling with substance abuse often have complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) and seek altered states beyond the mundane via substances. What if expressive art therapies and ancient spiritual practices creating trance states could meet this need to alter states, while healing CPTSD symptoms by developing self-awareness, affect regulation, and reprogramming the subconscious mind through imaginal realm parts work? This capstone thesis explores this using yogic philosophy, shamanic drumming, Himalayan singing bowls, aboriginal grief rituals, and expressive art therapies rooted in transcendental theater, bilateral stimulation, and natural materials like clay therapy. A methodology combining ancient wisdom, arts, and modern psychological theory was developed to induce trance states to heal substance abuse and CPTSD symptoms. Drawing from Jungian psychology, the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC), polyvagal theory, and transpersonal concepts of entrainment, embodiment, and attunement, along with techniques like parts work, meditation, journaling, creative art therapies, and somatic healing, this study involved 6 adult participants in a Los Angeles IOP dual diagnosis treatment center. Over 7 sessions themed by natural elements and corresponding altered states, clients journeyed through self-made trance states, learning self-regulation and co-regulation, and developing new expression and processing tools. Clients favored the experiential approach with minimal verbal processing and enjoyed hands-on, relaxing exercises. My facilitator confidence enhanced participant self-trust as they entrained to me, making the work more impactful. These practices aimed to address CPTSD symptoms in a fun yet profound way, offering a new approach to a misunderstood diagnosis
How Sensory Exploration Using Expressive Arts Provides a Cohesive Experience for Children with Multiple Diagnoses
Get PDFThis thesis looks at the potential benefits and cohesive experience of sensory exploration for children with multiple diagnoses through a trauma informed lens. The researcher was inspired by Prendiville’s (2021) idea of how interactive sensory exploration and art making can help foster and develop reciprocal communication and socio-affective relationships influenced the researcher to design a method that would be used to collect data about potential similar findings. In the method, the interaction of the sensory-specific art mediums were reflected through the expressive therapies continuum (ETC) framework. The research of this thesis acknowledges and explores how trauma and adverse childhood experiences may impact a child’s developmental capabilities through sensory-art explorations. Based on qualitative-arts-based research, data was collected through observations, impressions, self-reflective writing and art-making. The sensory-art explorations were offered with children ages nine through twelve in a therapeutic day school. The participants are children with various backgrounds, demonstrating social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Every week, for the duration of four months, the selected groups played with materials that explored four senses: tactile, visual, auditory, and olfactory. All materials and explorations were given through a trauma-informed lens. Many therapeutic benefits were observed and cohesion grew over the length of the intervention. The therapeutic benefits observed included deep breathing, kinesthetic release, improved communication, and increased happiness
Decolonizing Anti-Racist Professional Development for PK-12 Educators: Centering Indigenous Peoples of the “Americas”
Get PDFThis study explored challenges non-Indigenous educators face in centering Indigenous histories
and experiences in anti-racist professional development (PD) workshops for PK-12 educators. It addressed the process of transforming anti-racist PD and the significance of learning from Native American community members. The invisibility of Indigenous Peoples extends beyond physical aspects tied to attempted genocide and includes the invisibility of the political rights of tribal citizens. It encompasses exclusion from historical conversations, anti-racism research, and statistical data. In contrast, the hypervisibility of stereotypical images and inaccurate information starkly contrasts the invisibility of authentic images and accurate resources. The Indigenous methodology of two-eye seeing is employed. It intertwines the author\u27s personal experiences in decolonizing professional development through testimonio while complementing the research data. Narrative interviews, conducted through criterion sampling, involved seven non-Indigenous educators actively engaged in decolonizing efforts. With an average teaching experience of 19.8 years (range: 7 to 43) and an average decolonizing commitment of 11.1 years (range: 3 to 43), participants included five white women and two of color identifying as Black. Following analysis, 2 Indigenous focus groups provided feedback on eight identified strategies, leading to developing 20 Steps for Decolonizing Anti-Racism PD. This research informs educational practices, contributes to anti-racist initiatives, and promotes a more inclusive and respectful approach to Indigenous knowledge within the educator professional development setting
Cultivating Massachusetts Public Elementary School Formal Teacher-Leadership
Get PDFIn Massachusetts public elementary schools, teaching and leadership roles are perceived as mutually exclusive rather than interwoven. Despite credentials that would recognize Massachusetts public elementary school teachers as leaders beyond their classrooms, the leadership frame of reference attests that those who have the position, power and authority to lead (e.g., superintendents, directors, principals) are the leaders of schools and school districts. Because of this, the prospect of an expanded pathway for formal public elementary school teacher-leadership is challenged and there is a dearth of literature pertaining to formal teacher-leadership practices in public elementary schools. This study sought to understand this phenomenon and is based on the following three guiding research questions: 1) How do public elementary school teachers in Massachusetts define and understand formal teacher-leadership in public elementary schools? 2) What are the ways public elementary school teachers in Massachusetts say they perform formal teacher-leadership roles? 3) What are the factors and conditions that public elementary school teachers in Massachusetts believe promote or inhibit them from performing formal teacher-leadership roles in their schools? In total, sixty-six public elementary school teachers participated in the study. This research employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methodology. The analysis of data collected from a survey and follow-up interview uncovered the following findings: (1) Inconsistent structure and opportunities for formal teacher-leadership roles in public elementary schools in Massachusetts leading to varied opportunities and ineffective alignment towards school and district goals, (2) School culture of mistrust and lack of support for formal teacher-leaders or those aspiring to engage in formal teacher-leadership roles, (3) Providing role clarity and release time would increase the effectiveness of those performing a formal teacher-leadership role, (4) Veteran teachers attain organically derived leadership through the trust and buy-in of their colleagues, (5) Professional development to specifically cultivate skills for those in a formal teacher-leadership role is needed, (6) A teacher evaluation system that is specific to the formal teacher-leadership role is needed. The implications of these findings are analyzed and discussed
Promoting Positive White Racial Identity Development in K-12 Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study
Get PDFThe process of racial identity development (RID) is widely agreed to be the process by which an individual comes to understand the role race plays in their sense of self, how it influences their ability to acquire information and reach goals, how it affects their interpersonal interactions with others, and the manner in which it assigns group membership in the larger society. The formative years students spend in K-12 educational environments can play an important role in their RID; thus educators’ awareness of these developmental processes can potentially help dismantle the systems of inequity within a critical race theory framework that uplift whiteness in public schools in the United States. This study explored how white educators’ assessment of their own racial identity was influenced by participation in professional development focused on antiracism. Using the framework of Janet Helms’s (2020) theory of white RID, this qualitative case study examined four white public school educators’ experiences learning about and assessing their own RID as part of a 25-hour course focused on antiracism in education in an affluent suburb of the Northeastern United States. Through analysis of oral and written reflections, as well as a semi-structured interview after the course had ended, several themes emerged regarding how white educators assess their RID in these environments, including reflection on childhood and adolescence and exploration of parallel identities. The findings also yielded important indicators of the influence of antiracist professional development, including opportunities for reflection, explicit theoretical education, instructor vulnerability, and differentiation of learning experiences. Recommendations from this study include providing explicit instruction to educators in RID theories and prompting authentic reflection on the depth of relationships participants have with people of color, as well as on the intersection of their personal trauma and racial identity
Rupture and Repair: Developing a Saggar-Fired Ceramic Approach to Building Trauma Resilience Through Making, Tending, Breaking and Mending
Get PDFThis capstone thesis charts the development of a method to make, tend, break, and mend a saggar-fired ceramic sculpture, addressing the question, “How can a ceramic process of rupture and repair be useful for developing resilience to trauma?” It highlights the value and drawbacks of the application of ceramics to art therapy. Current literature supports creative destruction as a healing tool for trauma survivors and details how to incorporate it safely. This four-day workshop involved two participants with a trauma history. Both had undergone years of therapy and were screened for ego strength. Results showed that the method can be carried out safely, can be enjoyable, and can result in empowerment, agency, and resilience. Themes that emerged were establishing safety; somatic integration through haptic experience and contact with clay; the value of creative destruction and controlled breaking; addressing perfectionism; identification with the artwork; and somatization of the art making process. Participants noted that rupture creates a need for repair, but what emerges is something different and better. Without the rupture, we remain static and cannot evolve
Coming Out, Letting Go, Getting Naked: A Community Engagement Arts Based Project
Get PDFCreating a healthy sexual minority identity remains a challenge in the 21st century, despite significant advances in social acceptance and civil rights. Sexual minorities are more likely than cis gender heterosexuals to be exposed to traumatic events, and experience shame and mental and physical health symptoms as a result. Despite this, sexual minorities do overcome obstacles to develop resilience. While the coming out process looks different depending on the background of the individual, many gay men find connection and build community through this often difficult process where even rejection may play a part. The author found connection and community through social nudist experiences, beginning with his first visit to a nude beach. While social nudity is by no means mainstream, it has a persistent presence in modern history and research suggests positive effects on self-esteem and body image as well as an ideological return to nature and rejection of industrialization. Nudity has appeared in some form or another on theatrical stages for centuries, but it wasn’t until Hair that it became a staple of Western theatre. In this arts-based community engagement drama therapy research project, the author examines the possible relationship between the coming out process, letting go of shame, self-acceptance, and social nudity. The researcher gathered 10 participants to engage in a workshop which focused heavily on the discussion of role as well as partner interviewing techniques to explore these questions. An ethnodrama response, inspired by the experience of facilitating and witnessing the workshop, was created