Eco-Art therapy's Effect on Existential Well-Being and Connectedness to Nature with Families Experiencing Bereavement
Graduation Date
Spring 2015
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
Jennifer Harrison, PsyD, DAAETS, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Arnell Etherington-Reader, PhD, ART-BC, MFT
Abstract
The intent of this thesis grant proposal is to secure funding for a six week art psychotherapy bereavement program incorporating nature-based art making for families who have recently experience loss of a family member. The proposed ecopsychology art therapy group will serve as an adjunct to an existing hospice bereavement program through VITAS hospice services. The goal of this study is to identify individual grief reactions, level of existential well-being and connectedness to nature as it relates to the grief process before and after nature-based art directives in a family group setting. The program will be evaluated for decrease in grief reaction symptoms, increase in existential well-being, and connectedness to nature using the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist, the Existential Well-Being Scale, and the Connectedness to Nature Scale.