Date of Award

Spring 5-2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Program/Concentration

Art Therapy

Committee Director

Elizabeth Warson

Committee Member

Walter Watson

Committee Member

Dann Witczak

Abstract

The art materials are a major component in art therapy. Their actual usage in sessions with clients, especially with adults, has rarely been the topic of investigation. The ideas about the qualities and purposes that the art materials bring to art therapy sessions are based on older theories, which were created without evidence-based research. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adults interact with and react to art media. Five adult volunteers, who were not formally trained as artists and who did not regularly engage in artistic processes, participated in the study. The participants experimented with various art materials for 90 minutes and were then interviewed about the process and experience. Themes and patterns emerged from the interviews. Inferences were made regarding how visual images and sensory experiences lead to self-talk, expression, recollection of memories and stories, verbal affect, and revelation and insight. Each participant’s interaction with the materials was discussed individually. This study found that a greater understanding of the art media is needed and that it is important to create individualized treatment plans with respect to the art media.

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