Date of Award
Spring April 2015
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
Paige Asawa
Abstract
Art therapy and narrative therapy techniques are both used separately in treating sexual abuse, however they are not often used together. This heuristic study explores the experience of a wounded healer when using art within a narrative therapy process, specifically storytelling, to support healing from multigenerational incestuous abuse. This researcher used a science fiction story she is currently writing, to stimulate 8 reflections on the parallels in that story and in her personal trauma narrative, and then made adjoining art pieces about the reflections. The data was analyzed to find themes, such as protection, anger and fear. The art helped support the story by documenting the journey of wound healing. Both the art and text informed the creative synthesis, which exemplified this researcher’s process of forming her identity as a wounded healer. The parallels found in the science fiction story helped reveal and enlighten this researcher’s own trauma narrative and encourage self actualization. This study supports the use of art and storytelling with survivors of multi-generational incestuous abuse.
Recommended Citation
McMullen, Samantha, "A Heuristic Study of a Wounded Healer" (2015). LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations. 151.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/151
