Graduation Date
2024
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Project Type
Qualitative Study
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Art Therapy
Program
Art Therapy
Program Director
Lisa Hinz, PhD, ATR-BC
First Reader
Erin Partridge, PhD, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Louvenia Jackson, PhD, LMFT, ATR-BC
Abstract
The main goal of this research is to explore the unconscious phenomena of Intuition and Insight in art therapy. I define Intuition as knowledge that has been there all along and Insight as an inner sense of knowing and a space of no-thought. It is my belief that these unconscious processes lay at the heart of art and art-making and may therefore strengthen the therapeutic process. In order to investigate this hypothesis, I turned to the phenomenological analysis of qualitative interviews and found that seven themes emerged from the data collected: Prologue, Untethered, Interrelatedness, Deliverance, Concede, Divulge, Art as Allied, Art therapy. These themes demonstrate that Intuition and Insight are an intrinsic part of art therapy. I argue that the possibility of healing emerges when a client travels within and is able to reach insightful states through the practice of art. For that encounter to unfold, I argue that the themes I identified are essential and necessary steps in a therapeutic journey. It is my hope that this research will shed light on the intrinsic gifts and potential that art therapists have access to through the creative process, show the benefits of using them in clinical practice, and foster their teaching in curricula.
IRB Number
11140