Henna Serves as Visual Reminder for Goals or Tasks in an Art Therapy Session
Graduation Date
Fall 2012
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Degree Granting Institution
Notre Dame de Namur University
Program Name
Art Therapy
Dean
John Lemmon, PhD
First Reader
Amy Backos, PhD, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Deann Acton, LMFT, ATR-BC
Abstract
This research explores the use of henna in the art therapy field. The data is gathered through qualitative questions and a quantitative questionnaire called the Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ). The individual chose a goal or task to accomplish, they are then asked to pick a symbol that best represents their goal/task, and the henna is applied according to the symbol they chose. The belief is that the henna will be a visual reminder of the goal or task. Whether or not the goal/task is accomplished depends on the efforts of the individual. This research seeks to find out what reminded them of their goal/task. The study was able to demonstrate that the henna was a visual reminder for more than half the participants’ goal/task. This study was able to use a traditional art form and find a therapeutic use for it in the art therapy field.