Date of Award
Spring 5-17-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Major
Expressive Therapies
First Advisor
Raquel Chapin Stephenson
Abstract
The expressive nature of art therapy can aid those with communication and sensory processing differences. Art making allows for the individual to access and emote in a way that spoken language cannot. This literature review will investigate and explore the features of the processing differences related to autism, interoception and alexithymia. The findings from the research explore the effectiveness of utilizing art therapy as a method to expand emotional communication. There are many challenges pertaining to emotional regulation and communication for autistic individuals. Accessing mental health resources and service providers familiar with communication differences is another challenge for this population. There is a growing need for the autistic community to have neurodivergent affirming care with a means of emotional communication and understanding of differences in processing from the service providers. Art therapy is a means of supporting emotional expression when words do not suffice.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Cohen, Kathryn L., "How Can Art Therapy Be Utilized to Support Emotional Communication for Autistic Individuals with an Alexithymic Profile?" (2025). Expressive Therapies Theses. 64.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_therapies_theses/64
