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Kīpuka Leo: A Phenomenology of Leadership in Hawaiian-focused Charter Schools
Get PDFIn Hawai‘i, the Hawaiian-focused charter school emerged as a call to action in communities that desired places of learning grounded in Native Hawaiian epistemologies, pedagogy, culture, language, and self-determination. Driven by the intention to decolonize schooling, Hawaiian-focused charter schools are still obligated to abide by the United States federal and Hawai‘i state mandates of publicly funded institutions. This phenomenological study sought to explore the experiences of eight po‘o kumu (leaders) from seven Hawaiian-focused charter schools as they develop kula (schools) from within the community, culturally rooted and responsive, while operating in a modern, Western context. Through face-to-face interviews, po‘o were asked to reflect on how they define their work; the values, epistemologies, and skills that sustain their leadership; the experiences and policies that support and inhibit what they aim to do; and the effects that federal and state mandates have had on their ability to lead successfully. Interviews were transcribed and In Vivo coded, resulting in 21 po‘omana‘o (themes) in response to the three guiding research questions, as well as eight findings. Key conclusions from this study indicate that po‘o kumu of Hawaiian-focused charter schools engage in complex and highly responsive leadership, motivated and driven by a commitment to their haumāna (students), communities, and lāhui (Native Hawaiian people). Mutually beneficial relationships are critical in carrying out their work. Inequitable resources and larger systemic issues inhibit their ability to lead effectively. While po‘o held mixed opinions about the ways in which federal and state education reforms affected their roles as leaders, all po‘o agreed upon a desire for self-determination in measures of student assessment and school accountability and a synergy of Western and Native Hawaiian practices for their Hawaiian-focused charter schools. Key recommendations include continued efforts by the po‘o kumu to gather for mutual support, especially regarding federal and state mandates; to collaborate on culturally relevant assessments; and to mobilize to increase visibility and awareness of Hawaiian-focused charter schools. Future research should include a larger and/or more diverse group of po‘o, the tracking of changes in reflections in leadership over time, and a comparison of findings with other types of schools (public charter, public Department of Education, independent) to assist in understanding the phenomenology of Hawaiian-focused charter schools and zoom in on what can be learned from Hawaiian-focused charter schools specifically
What is Competency? Exploring Perceptions of Functional Musicianship in Music Therapy
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of music therapy clinicians, educators, clinical supervisors, and students in the United States regarding functional music skill competence. The study further attempted to identify potential factors that may influence perceptions of functional music skill competence, including the principal instrument, amount of clinical and supervision experience, and educational background of the rater. Data for this study were collected using an online survey that asked participants to listen to 12 musical excerpts and rate each for proficiency in overall musicality, instrumental accompaniment, vocal performance, and musical competence. Additionally, participants had the option to provide narrative feedback for each excerpt, as well as for the overall survey. Participants (N = 661) consisted of music therapy students, educators, and board-certified music therapists recruited using both email and social media.
Quantitative results indicated that guitar samples were rated highest on average, followed by piano, then percussion. Ratings for vocal performance and instrumental accompaniment were correlated with both overall musicality and musical competence in nearly all cases. Significant differences existed between groups for at least one sample in nearly all participant demographic categories. A manual thematic analysis of open-ended responses resulted in 15 themes across four categories: musical considerations, clinical considerations, factors affecting perception, and survey feedback. When taken together, results indicate that perception of functional music skill competence is multifaceted, complex, and subjective, and that the process of functional music skill assessment would benefit from standardized criteria and guidelines
Prescribing Music to Forensic Settings: A Literature Review
Get PDFThough prison is inherently musical, evidence-based forensic music therapy is rather understudied. This thesis critically reviews musical experiences in forensic environments and synthesizes its intersection with inmates\u27 psychological distress. Additionally, the literature explores how forensic music therapy can act as a health and social resource for the incarcerated and their communities. Engaging in this work is vital because healthier correctional systems mean healthier communities (Hopwood, 2021). This review synthesizes relevant literature to inform better practices in music therapy, counseling, and healthcare and seeks to popularize discussion around an otherwise unpopular population, incarcerated folx. Emerging themes include (1) incarceration breeds negative mental health symptoms like psychological distress, anger, and fear, (2) Inmates need an escape from oppressing conditions and negative symptoms, (3) Inmates have little opportunity for preventative healthcare while being incarcerated only worsens their pre-existing health conditions, (4) Correctional systems rely on low-cost alternative health practices like mindfulness and music therapy to aid in the release of distress, (5) Forensic music therapy offered opportunities for inmates to escape from psychological distress, connect with others, learn about oneself and generalize other learned skills throughout the prison setting and release if applicable. Through this critical review\u27s examination, it\u27s safe to conclude that music therapy is low-cost and prescribable to correctional facilities for improving inmates\u27 regulation of psychological distress and the acquisition of generalizable social skills
Jewish Wordless Singing in Music Therapy and Burnout Prevention with Outpatient Mental Health Clinicians
Get PDFExisting literature has shown a rise in burnout levels for mental health clinicians, especially in light of the recent and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This capstone project focused on understanding how Jewish wordless melodies (niggunim) may be used as a technique in group singing in music therapy as a strategy for preventing clinician burnout. Research has demonstrated that music therapy techniques may be beneficial in addressing the causes and components of burnout though there is minimal research on the use of niggunim in music therapy, and none on the use of niggunim to prevent burnout. A single-session niggunim-based intervention was carried out in a group of three outpatient mental health clinicians practicing at a clinic in the metro Boston area. Data collection and analysis followed a qualitative and arts-based procedure which included written narrative summaries and self-reflection through journaling and niggun improvisation by the researcher. Five main themes were lifted from these reflections including: Self-Consciousness, Mood Elevation, Connection, Anchoring, and Comfort Tied to Familiarity. The results indicate that niggunim-based interventions may be useful in the prevention of burnout in this population and a clinical model based on these themes is proposed
Group Singing and Songwriting for Emotion Regulation: Development of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Informed Music Therapy Method for Adults in Crisis Residential Treatment
Get PDFEmotion regulation, the ability to acknowledge, name, and shift emotions, is an important skill in effectively interacting with the world. However, many people with mental health diagnoses struggle with emotion dysregulation. Music therapy has been explored in combination with Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills training to support clients in building emotion regulation skills. The current study explored how music therapy can positively add to DBT skills training, specifically emotion regulation, for adult clients with mental health diagnoses in short-term residential treatment. Four DBT-informed music therapy groups were conducted, and the researcher’s experiences and reflections were analyzed to produce five main themes: facilitation, resource, positive emotional experience, engagement, and social connection. These findings support earlier research showing the effectiveness of music therapy interventions in supporting DBT skills acquisition and suggest the need for further research examining the specific benefits music therapy interventions can provide
Expressive Arts Therapy to Support Positive Experiences of Embodiment Among Rural LGBTQ+ Adults: A Literature Review
Get PDFThis paper investigates the use of expressive arts therapy to support LGBTQ+ adult clients in rural communities. Caring professionals in rural areas often lack training on how to work with LGBTQ+ clients, and best practices for clinical mental health counseling with rural LGBTQ+ clients have yet to be defined. Some evidence suggests that using “metronormative” best practices with rural clients may be irrelevant or cause harm (Giano et al., 2020). Although some recommendations exist for using expressive therapies with LGBTQ+ clients, they are rarely evidence-based, as very few empirical studies exist evaluating the effectiveness of expressive therapy interventions with LGBTQ+ populations. To address these gaps in the research, I use the lenses of rural queer theory and embodiment (a key component of expressive arts therapy) to explore how LGBTQ+ clients may experience their identities within a rural community context. I review empirical studies on LGBTQ+ embodiment, and the work of two rural queer theory scholars, to contextualize how a therapist might implement expressive arts interventions ethically with rural LGBTQ+ clients. I describe five expressive arts interventions which show promise for supporting rural LGBTQ+ adults in cultivating positive experiences of embodiment. Expressive arts therapy’s emphasis on embodiment may be useful to clients who experience oppression on the basis of sexuality and/or gender identity. Expressive arts therapy supports clients in articulating their own identities and stories, which is important because rural LGBTQ+ adults may conceptualize their identities using a different paradigm than the one that is dominant in mainstream media, queer theory, and LGBTQ+ activism
A Return to The Roots: Mysticism and Psychodrama for Traumatized Populations: A Literature Review
Get PDFThis paper is a literature review on the spiritual roots of psychodrama and how this can be utilized for traumatized populations. To support this hypothesis, I reviewed research done on post- traumatic stress disorder, spirituality and mysticism, as well as how psychodrama has been utilized for traumatized populations. J.L. Moreno’s original writings on psychodrama and its components and philosophy are utilized to situate mysticism and spirituality within the psychodramatic paradigm. All terms listed above are defined using research done within the United States, although Moreno began his career in Austria. To end the paper I discussed the importance of staying true to the philosophy of psychodrama and how this may benefit survivors of trauma
How Art Therapy and the Expressive Therapies Continuum can be used to Enhance Executive Functioning Skills: A Literature Review
Get PDFExecutive functioning skills can be thought of as our brain’s administration team. They help people manage and act on information and organize it accordingly. When executive functions are disrupted, executive dysfunction occurs. The significance of these skills in relation to building a successful life, has caused there to be substantial research that focuses on short term interventions that are meant to benefit executive functioning skills. These interventions are based in computerized training, hybrid of computer and non-computer games, aerobic exercise, martial arts and mindfulness practices, and classroom curricula. The limitation with these interventions is that only 4 of the 90 studies included artistic media. Existing literature supports the relationship between art therapy and executive functioning. The findings from this literature review examine the connection between the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) and executive functioning skills. Findings support that using the ETC has the potential to help develop executive functioning in children, thus setting them up for a successful future. The use of the ETC also fills the gap for creative short-term interventions that are tailored to enhance executive functioning skills. The ETC provides directives at each level that target different executive functioning skills. The last finding shows how the ETC can be used to enhance executive functioning in clients with Alzheimer’s and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), both of which are causes of executive dysfunction
Art Therapy as a Tool for Korean American Families: A Literature Review
Get PDFThis literature review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of attributes of Korean culture that make significant impacts on the family dynamic in the Korean immigrant households and to learn different types of art therapy that can help them. This literature review identifies specifically the struggles both first-generation Korean immigrant parents and second-generation Korean-American adolescents experience in order to understand where their conflicts come from. Later, different approaches of art therapy for the conflicts Korean immigrant households face are discussed. Data are collected from existing literature and videos by terms including art therapy for immigrants, family art therapy, Korean immigrant family, and art therapy for Korean, and they are critically analyzed through a cultural lens. The findings revealed that the major factor of the conflict between Korean parents and their second-generation adolescent children is the distinct relation-oriented Korean culture and that different models and approaches can be applied to Korean immigrant families considering the unique culture
From Dread to Aliveness — Bottom-Up Creative Arts Therapies for Resilience in the Face of Existential Stress: A Literature Review
Get PDFExistential stress results from persistent, uncontrollable personal circumstances or broader systemic factors. Such prolonged stressors constitute “little-t trauma” and take a toll on the body, mind, and spirit. As such, approaches for building resilience against such stressors should be integrative. Because stress implicates the nervous system, bottom-up therapies are foundational in support of building a felt sense of safety. Thereafter, top-down methods for increasing one’s subjective sense of meaning and aliveness can follow. However, traditional psychotherapy approaches to resilience—including those utilized in positive psychology—are often cognitive in nature and disregard the body and nervous system. Literature on bottom-up therapies commonly refers to the healing of acute post-traumatic stress, yet these processes are also needed for building resilience when stressors are persistent and ongoing. Methodologically, creative arts therapies (CATs) offer a bridge between the top-down and bottom-up because of the arts’ distinct capacity to address the range of kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, affective, cognitive, and symbolic levels of functioning. The arts can transform an individual’s relationship to their stressors by increasing a sense of safety, agency, increased perspective, interpersonal connection, and resilience. This paper draws from polyvagal theory to understand the nervous system-related aspects of existential stress, and reviews literature to uncover how CATs, particularly expressive arts therapy (ExAT), can elevate functioning from a subjective state of dread to aliveness