Date of Award

Spring 5-2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

EVMS School of Health Professions

Program/Concentration

Art Therapy

Abstract

People have kept journals and diaries since ancient times, writing down daily happenings or their thoughts about things over time. Currently, there is no art therapy research on visual journaling techniques that can be used as a tool in art therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore various visual journaling techniques with adults, in order to make recommendations for their use in art therapy. It was hypothesized that a trial of visual journaling techniques with normal adults would provide valuable information which would assist in the development of recommendations for the use of visual journaling in art therapy. Four adult volunteers, who had no current psychiatric problems, participated in the three half-day visual journaling workshops. During these sessions, the participants learned several visual journaling techniques, which they practiced in the journal provided for them. After the participants completed exploring each technique, they were asked to try the techniques at home as “homework”. The participants then completed a questionnaire at the end of the workshop. Three of the participants shared that visual journaling could be beneficial for them, but one participant stated that visual journaling was not for her, that she was not a visual thinker. It was found that, although some directives were effective, the participants explored free-choice techniques more often. Visual journaling was discovered to help the participants with self-discovery and to gain perspectives for specific life issues, allowing the various processes to become personal for them.

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Art Therapy Commons

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