This publication presents the qualitative findings from a mixed-method pilot study on three- and four-drawing protocols for chronic pain, which have demonstrated significant positive quantitative results. For this report, thematic analysis and magnitude coding of drawing titles, narratives, and characteristics including resource representations…

Nostalgic memories are highly social and revisiting them increases social connectedness and motivation. The present study offers a naturalistic approach to studying the social experience of nostalgia. Participants created scrapbooks in groups across three sessions over a period of six weeks. Nostalgia proneness, meaning, and social connection were…

The mental health needs of K-12 students have grown significantly in recent years, necessitating innovative approaches to support their emotional, psychological, and social well-being. This article explores integrating Ecodaemonia, a nature-based framework, into school counseling programs. We provide a guide for developing, implementing, and…

Routinely prescribed psychological therapies for depression are not always effective. Arts therapies, particularly Dance Movement Psychotherapy, may offer additional therapeutic mechanisms for depression. Therefore, client-reported helpful factors from various therapy types, along with client preferences, are key in devising new therapeutic…

This program evaluation investigated the Mindfulness and Art Therapy Group Program's (MATG-P) effectiveness for children's mental health outcomes and interpersonal impacts. MATG-P provided eight weekly child therapy groups, two conjoint parent-child meetings, and ongoing meetings with teachers. Participants included 83 5- to 12-year-old children,…

Women hospitalized on an antepartum unit can benefit from an open studio art therapy group. A case description follows six women over five group sessions. Several common experiences that occurred throughout the sessions included isolation/boredom, uncertainty, lack of control, and family. Art therapy in a group setting allowed the women to express…

This study examined the effects of group art therapy on self-concept and peer relationships among adolescents using a mixed-method approach. Twelve recruited adolescents from a high school in Northern Taiwan attended weekly 2-h group art therapy sessions for 8 weeks. Through a discovery-oriented approach incorporating focus group interviews and…

An Australian-Malaysian cross-cultural, group art therapy and focus group study located in Terengganu, Malaysia, explored the lived experience of women with responsibilities for raising their children alone, following divorce. This qualitative study had 2 aims: (a) to understand the women's lived experiences, and (b) to determine their experience…

There is a growing interest in understanding how individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience empathy to explore their social-emotional and communication impairments. Although there has been considerable research into autism and cognitive empathy, research into emotional empathy is scarce, and there is less on the impact of teaching…

High school students need Social Emotional learning integrated into classrooms, but what that looks like is not well defined for art educators. When one tries to look, most research points to art therapy strategies which leave art educators feeling ill-equipped to implement in their classrooms. This study explored the implementation of visual…

Ecotherapy-based experiences have been shown to provide multiple benefits such as improved cognitive functioning, increased overall well-being and improved mental and physical health. Few, if any studies have considered the benefits of providing these types of experiences for urban community college students. This pilot study introduces an eco-art…

This literature review highlights the utility of identifying early childhood adversities through dramatic play and theater arts. Understanding the impact of early childhood education, our focus included beneficial, qualitative observations of the positive therapeutic outcomes when participating in theater arts activities. We chose to search these…

This study compared the effects of 4 different coloring activities on state anxiety scores to determine whether adult coloring books are as effective as other coloring activities in reducing anxiety. Participants were 160 undergraduates attending a private, Christian, liberal arts university. After engaging in an anxiety induction activity,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate how nature-inspired art education might foster a sense of connectedness and collaboration in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (hereinafter knows as ASD) in a day program. While many studies have uncovered such beneficial art education for children with ASD, there has been little research attempted…

Although several ethical decision-making methods exist, there is a dearth of research evaluating their use and effectiveness. This study examined graduate student papers by both art therapy and counseling students that applied either the DO ART model (developed for art therapists) or the ABCDE worksheet (for general mental health usage) to case…