Harnessing Technology: Art Therapy as Early Intervention in School-Based Counseling for Latino Adolescents with Low SES
Graduation Date
Fall 2013
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
Carolee Stabno, PsyD, MFT
Abstract
Students from lower socioeconomic status families continue to underachieve within the public educational setting. The cycles of violence and poverty are becoming more widespread and cannot be broken without prevention and early intervention. The Art Therapy intervention described in this grant harnesses today’s technology to utilize mobile tablet devices for digital art and digital storytelling. This will provide children and adolescents an outlet for creative and emotional expression while addressing academic and behavioral issues. These behavioral issues will be treated using Art Therapy from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach, which provides strategies for skill building, social skills, coping mechanisms and problem solving. The goal of this program is to foster an interest in participating in therapy via a combination of Art Therapy with digital technology. The interventions of this program seek to reduce negative behaviors, improve social difficulties and develop positive coping skills in Bay Area public school.