Date of Award

Spring 5-21-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Meg Chang

Abstract

The current method examined the effects of ambiguous loss with medical transplant patients in a pediatric hospital by utilizing a dance/movement therapy intervention. The development of this method was based on ambiguous loss theory with a dance/movement therapy approach. The explored literature identified central themes of ambiguous loss, such as resilience. These themes were connected to the practice of dance/movement therapy, such as embodiment. With this connection, the intervention was developed and implemented with participants. The central themes that emerged from the intervention were change, loss, meaning-making, and hope. One child and two adolescents were participants in this intervention, and each was treated as a separate, individual intervention. All three of the participants had or were awaiting a form of transplant. By utilizing a dance/movement therapy method, the participant embodied an experience that is often difficult to find words to describe. The intervention included a verbal check-in, body-based warm-up, a movement directive, a movement-based closing, and a verbal closing. Rich and positive results were produced by this method that provided a deeper understanding of ambiguous loss with chronically hospitalized children. The recognition of ambiguous loss within the medical and mental health field will provide patients with further, invaluable support throughout their hospitalization.

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

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