Graduation Date
2027
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Project Type
Mixed Methods
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Art Therapy
Program
Art Therapy
Program Director
Jordan Gonzales, PhD, LMFT, ATR-BC
First Reader
Erin Partridge, PhD, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Savannah Stone
Abstract
This study explores costume creation as a narrative-based intervention for integrating "shadow" parts, or aspects of the self that are repressed or alienated due to shame, trauma, or social pressure. Grounded in Jungian analytic psychology, narrative therapy, and expressive arts theory, the research addresses the limitations of traditional talk therapy in accessing somatic memory and proposes costume making as a pathway for externalization and re-authorship. Using a qualitative, participatory study inspired by Pat B. Allen’s Open Studio Process, four adult participants engaged in a three-session workshop to design, construct, and wear costumes representing their identified shadow aspects. Data was collected through pre- and post- study affect surveys, group sharing, interview questions, and researcher observations. Findings indicate that the process facilitated significant shifts in participants’ relationships with their shadow parts, fostering greater curiosity, care, and celebration. Key themes included the inherent narrative power of costume, the role of the open-studio in enabling emotional expression, and the transformative potential of aesthetic distance when navigating internal conflict. This research affirms costume creation as a therapeutic modality that honors the body as a site of healing and offers an art-based means of reclaiming fragmented identities through adornment and communal witnessing.
IRB Number
11318
Included in
Art Therapy Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Community-Based Learning Commons, Fashion Design Commons, Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Somatic Psychology Commons