Date of Award

Spring 5-2016

Document Type

Master's Project

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

EVMS School of Health Professions

Program/Concentration

Art Therapy and Counseling

Committee Director

Erin Blair

Committee Member

Bruce Moon

Committee Member

Sarah Deaver

Abstract

Although existing literature asserts that personal experience greatly impacts the development of professional identity among mental health professionals, the impact of personal crisis during graduate education and training—the formative period of professional identity development—remains largely unaddressed. Through engagement in this art-based heuristic self-study, I examined my own experience coping with personal crisis as an art therapy graduate student. I committed to eight weeks of art making and reflective writing in order to achieve greater understanding and self-awareness regarding the effects of coping with parental cancer and the death of my father on my professional identity development. Content analysis of the resultant artwork and writing revealed several recurring patterns and themes including trust in the art process, necessity of self-care, and maintaining appropriate boundaries between personal and professional experience. Synthesis of emergent themes and patterns also led to implications of art-based self-work for interactions with future clients, art therapy education and practice, and further avenues for research.

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