Graduation Date
2026
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Project Type
Qualitative Study
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Art Therapy
Program
Art Therapy
Program Director
Lisa D. Hinz, PhD, ATR-BC
First Reader
Lisa D. Hinz, PhD, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Victoria Mycue
Abstract
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, research has revealed a significant strain on mental healthcare systems and healthcare professionals. Concurrently, there has been a rapid escalation in the prevalence of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and adolescent suicide rates, all of which have reached critical levels (World Health Organization, 2025; World Health Organization, 2022; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2025; American Psychiatric Association, 2024). Post-pandemic, these statistics continue to rise across all nations and socioeconomic groups (WHO, 2025). Consequently, there is an urgent need to intensify research that supports the enhancement of mental health services globally (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2025). Creative arts therapies have consistently demonstrated positive physiological and psychological effects on brain neuroplasticity, thereby facilitating improved emotion regulation and resilience (Brown, 2019; Barnett & Vasiu, 2024; Malhotra, et al., 2024). These findings raise the question of the speed at which we can implement these changes and provide our clients with enduring relief. Studies utilizing the Flash Technique (FT), which draws inspiration from Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), have also demonstrated comparable neurological and physiological benefits (Aksoy, 2025; Chandra & Mitra, 2024; Inci Izmir & Çitil Akyol (2024); Wong & Forman-Patel, 2023; Wong, 2021; Wong, 2024). However, to date, no studies have been conducted on the combined efficacy of creative arts therapies and the Flash Technique on a global scale. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to gather insights from seasoned Flash Technique-trained clinicians worldwide who employ innovative creative approaches within the framework of Flash Technique. A total of 36 clinicians from Western Asia, North America, Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern Europe participated in the study. These clinicians were asked to respond to questions that explored their perceived effects of utilizing these techniques. Notably, 14 of these clinicians also engaged in an online interview with the researcher, providing additional insights into their clinical experiences. These insights were shared verbally and through an art directive, culminating in an in-depth discussion and recommendations for further research. Data collection was conducted through an online questionnaire, recorded interview transcripts, and clinician art responses that served as reflections on their client sessions. The study’s findings indicate the creative arts combination with Flash Technique was a more holistic and preferred method that reduced trauma processing distress faster and lowered client and clinician session length anxieties. Future research to ascertain the most effective approaches and techniques is needed. The protocol (CRAFT) Creative Resourcing and Flash Technique has emerged as a comprehensive framework that encompasses all Flash Technique-trained clinicians who creatively apply these skills to the practice of Flash Technique. This protocol supports a burgeoning trend in integrative healthcare (King, 2018).
IRB Number
11297
Included in
Art Practice Commons, Art Therapy Commons, Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Cognitive Science Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Comparative Psychology Commons, Somatic Psychology Commons, Theory and Philosophy Commons
Comments
Global qualitative phenomenological creative arts thesis exploring creative techniques used by Flash Technique-trained clinicians; its effects, methods and future recommendations.