Date of Award

Spring 5-18-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Michelle Napoli

Abstract

Adolescence is a time of growth, enhanced understanding of self, and testing out how one may present in a group. Erikson described this stage as an opportunity to branch out from family influence and begin to understand one’s role among peers. This method involved an open studio approach using altered books to support adolescent identity formation. The participants were all from a private middle school in the Boston area. Participation was voluntary for each student and all materials were provided by the facilitator. Participant engagement in the group increased each week. The open studio group appeared to appeal to certain students due to their ability to choose when they wanted to join and the level of their engagement. During the open studio, themes emerged as talking points, and included participant engagement, peer relationships, self-esteem, and group roles during adolescence.

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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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