Graduation Date
2023
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Project Type
Mixed Methods
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Art Therapy
Program
Art Therapy
Program Director
Lisa Hinz, PhD, ATR-BC
First Reader
Arnell Etherington Reader, PhD, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Lisa Hinz, PhD, ATR-BC
Abstract
In 2020, the global pandemic fundamentally changed our everyday lives personally and professionally. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the art therapy profession: the challenges of shifting to telehealth, managing work/life balance, confronting new realities around notions of privacy and confidentiality, and adapting the materials used in sessions. The necessary innovations and adjustments also revealed the unexpected benefits the pandemic and online therapy platforms provided. The researcher was interested in exploring the challenges and benefits of telehealth, the changes to the practical and essential qualities of the art therapy session, the therapeutic relationship, and the overall effectiveness of art therapy under new and very different circumstances. This research study strove to explore these questions through both quantitative and qualitative measures and to connect with art therapists around the world in order to include their experiences in the data. Seventy-four art therapists responded to an online demographic survey and questionnaire of which nine participated in a 60-minute one-on-one online interview. Results were gathered from the quantitative and qualitative data. Inferential statistical analysis employed a Chi-square test to determine statistically significant differences in frequency of response to the online survey questions. The interview data were interpreted using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the necessity and importance of technology for the art therapy profession. Future research will be crucial to take what art therapists have learned about the importance of flexibility and adaptability in their approach to art therapy practice, at the same time maintaining high standards of ethical and effective treatment. Hopefully, this study has made a small but useful contribution.
IRB Number
10988
Included in
Art Therapy Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons