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.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Edington, Peyton, "Moving Through Loss: The Experience of Ambiguous Loss with Hospitalized Children, The Development of a Method" (2022). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 598.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/598
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Counseling Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons, Dance Movement Therapy Commons, Hepatology Commons, Oncology Commons, Pediatrics Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons
Rights
The author owns the copyright to this work.
