My Voice Is Tired: The Reclamation of Voice Through the Expressive Arts to Aid in Self-Care and Processing for BIPOC Interns and Therapists Amidst Microaggression Experiences: A Literature Review and Autoethnography

Author

Kahelia SmellieFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-20-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Dr. E Kellogg

Abstract

This thesis centers the experiences of Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) interns and therapists’ with microaggression and racism within their various environments. The impact and consequences of these experiences are discussed. An assortment of self-care and coping strategies for the experience of racism is examined, including the use of the expressive arts for self-care, reclamation of voice and processing. The El Duende One Canvas Process Painting technique was selected as the expressive arts tool for BIPOC interns and therapists to engage in to reclaim their voice. This author conducted an autoethnographic inquiry using the El Duende One Canvas Process Painting to process their own experiences of micro-aggression and self-care. The author’s artwork is integrated within the thesis for readers to gift levity and respite from witnessing.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Smellie, Kahelia, "My Voice Is Tired: The Reclamation of Voice Through the Expressive Arts to Aid in Self-Care and Processing for BIPOC Interns and Therapists Amidst Microaggression Experiences: A Literature Review and Autoethnography" (2023). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 706.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/706