The Study of Neurological Response in Art Therapy and Trauma: A Literature Review

Author

Kristin Weber, Lesley UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-18-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MCM - MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Raquel Stephenson, Ph.D., ATR-BC, LCAT

Abstract

This review will focus on neurological research and art therapy practice to consider benefits of the integration of science and the creative therapies. These topics will be addressed through a trauma informed theoretical lens, focusing on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury diagnoses in the US military veteran population. Arts-based, qualitative, and quantitative research were correlated within this review to discover links between neurology and art therapy’s unique impact on trauma, and the outcome of combining these practices. The conclusions found that, with limited research connecting these two fields, there is a possibility for enhanced trauma treatment through the integration of neurological research and art therapy practice.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Weber, Kristin, "The Study of Neurological Response in Art Therapy and Trauma: A Literature Review" (2019). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 173.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/173