Date of Award
Spring 5-15-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Expressive Therapies
First Advisor
Dr. Jason Frydman
Second Advisor
Dr. Michelle Pate
Third Advisor
Dr. Donna Gibson
Fourth Advisor
Michele Forinash, D.A.
Abstract
This study explored how art therapy supervisors conceptualize professional identity development (PID) in supervision with postgraduate art therapists who were pre-licensed. There was limited empirical research on how art therapy supervisors understood and support PID within art therapy supervision, particularly during the transitional period between graduate training and professional licensure. This study addressed the research question: How do art therapy supervisors conceptualize PID in supervision with postgraduate art therapists who are pre-licensed?
Fourteen art therapy supervisors participated in the study (86% female; 14% non-binary), ranging in age from 25 to over 65 years old. All participants identified their race or ethnicity as White. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using classical grounded theory. Four primary themes emerged: building self-awareness as a process of change, fostering confidence as a process of change, promoting arts-based practices as a process of change, and processes supporting long-term art therapy PID. Professional identity development is conceptualized as a dynamic ongoing process of change in which supervisees actively engage in an emerging sense of professional self-awareness and cultivate confidence through arts-based practices. The sustainability of the art therapist identity is further supported through strengthened supervision, attention to wellness and well-being, continued arts-based engagement, and ongoing professional development. Together, these processes of change support the integration of the whole self into a coherent and evolving art therapist identity. Implications and future directions highlight the need for clearer conceptual frameworks for PID in art therapy supervision and inform supervisory practices, training programs, and future research.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Atkinson, Christine S., "Conceptualizing Professional Identity Development in Art Therapy Supervision with Post-graduate Art Therapists Who Are Pre-licensed" (2026). Expressive Therapies Dissertations. 10.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_therapies_dissertation/10
