Date of Award

4-2022

Access Restriction

Research Projects

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Marital and Family Therapy

School or College

College of Communication and Fine Arts

First Advisor

Joyce Yip Green, PhD, LMFT, ATR-BC

Abstract

As the state of the world continues to evolve through means of social justice and technology, the discussion of cultural humility as the evolution of cultural competence is a growing topic in the field of mental health and the art therapy community. The following mixed- method research explores the impact of art materials, group processes, and creative practices in the development of cultural humility. Six graduate students from the Marital and Family Art Therapy Program at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) designed the following collaborative ethnography. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data to answer the question: How can group art-based practices (e.g., materials, group processes) develop cultural humility among art therapists? The data collected include pre and post-survey statistics in addition to art responses and dialogue reflection. The data revealed that art-based group processes and the intentional choice of material may facilitate the growth surrounding the four principles of cultural humility. Critical self-reflection was achieved through a deep exploration of individual experiences surrounding socioeconomic status, race, colonialism, gender, family, and spirituality. Participants were able to readdress the power imbalance by taking on the role of participant and facilitator taking into consideration how information and materials are both presented and received. Through group art-making, sharing, and discussing systemic changes, participants developed partnerships with communities and maintained institutional accountability. In order to build upon our findings, we propose future research on group-based art practices with mental health professionals and trainees that focus on the development of cultural humility in different social and environmental contexts.

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Art Therapy Commons

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