Date of Award
Spring 5-19-2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
PHD - Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Expressive Therapies
First Advisor
Shaun McNiff
Second Advisor
Michele Forinash
Third Advisor
Gioia Chilton
Abstract
Self-injury greatly affects individuals, their families, and the mental health professionals who provide their care. This art-based research investigates the impact of clients’ self-injury on mental health professionals. It addresses four research questions and applies a methodology that integrates body art, photography, poetry, and dialogue. Six participants (including the researcher) participated in three meetings wherein they artistically responded with temporary body art to two questions, sorted through their photographs, reviewed poetry created about their work, and discussed the study experience. The researcher navigated being a witness-researcher by personally and creatively engaging in the study.
The results present raw, distilled narratives, visual and verbal, as the process of discovery identified six prevailing characteristics: (1) Holding the space and relationship with the witness became a model and guide for participants to explore self-injury in the room and with their clients; (2) Sensory empathy allowed participants to increase appreciation of the body as a canvas. Experiencing art materials on the skin and in the mirror and photographic viewing of the art created a pseudo self-injury experience that deepened participants’ connection to the behavior; (3) Cultivating a compassionate response is important in healing the client and the mental health professional; (4) The research provided insights into the role of ambivalence and the impact of overflowing emotions in the development of self-injury; (5) I examined the significance of self-injury as expression and communication. Through body art, participants metaphorically experienced potential power and influence of this communication; (6) I considered the surfacing sense of hope an integral treatment-related experience that can replace self-injury as the resource of choice to feel alive and have hope in the professional’s ability to treat and enhance healing. Body art, coupled with photography and poetry, can be a valuable resource upon which to build common language, understanding, compassion, and healing.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Language
English
Number of Pages
229
Recommended Citation
Wyss, Dana, "Exploring Self-Injury: An Art-Based Approach to Cultivating Empathy and Understanding in Mental Health Professionals" (2018). Expressive Therapies Dissertations. 55.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_dissertations/55
Included in
Art Therapy Commons, Counseling Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Psychology Commons, Social Work Commons
Rights
The author owns the copyright to this work.
