Date of Award
Spring 5-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
EVMS School of Health Professions
Program/Concentration
Art Therapy and Counseling
Committee Director
Mary Roberts
Committee Member
Eileen Douglas
Abstract
This self-study utilized self-reflective art making to record my experience with body image as a bariatric surgery patient. I created artwork and written reflections over five structured sessions. I analyzed qualitative data including five pieces of artwork and written responses to distill patterns, themes, and subthemes. I discovered patterns of visual characteristics, my beliefs about society’s perceptions of me, negative self-talk, positive self-talk, actions, time, assimilation, and health upon data analysis. Implications of this are encouraging for the future study of reflective art making for bariatric patients, researching the effects of individual and group art therapy to further integrate this untouched population, and implications of the benefits of self-reflective art making for graduate art therapy students, as well as furthering the education in graduate art therapy programs.
Rights
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Recommended Citation
Gorman, Jennifer W.. "Self Study: Exploring Art Therapist Professional Identity and Body Image After Bariatric Surgery Through Reflective Art Making" (2015). Master of Science (MS), Thesis, EVMS School of Health Professions, Old Dominion University, https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/evmshealthprofessions_masters_papers/4