Date of Award

Spring 5-4-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Elizabeth Kellogg

Abstract

This paper addresses the history, theory, and practices in relational-cultural therapy (RCT), mindfulness, and phototherapy, the theoretical and philosophical foundations upon which I developed a method integrating related practices and approaches. The method combined relational cultural mindfulness, mindful photography, and phototherapy for promoting stress reduction and well-being in Mexican mothers of children with developmental disabilities. Research shows that parents of children with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience even greater amounts of parental stress, due to the child behavior problems presented in children with ASD and the holistic impact they have on family life (Torbet et al., 2019). Extensive research measuring the effects of mindfulness practices on mental health support that mindfulness practices foster a variety of positive health outcomes, such as the reduction of stress, anxiety, and depression, and increased in self-awareness and self-regulation. With this increase in self and interoceptive awareness, empowerment and resilience are other therapeutic benefits, as the practice of phototherapy engages individual and collective processes of decision making, reflection, and dialogue. This phototherapy and mindfulness-based expressive arts therapy intervention sought to promote stress reduction, self-care, and well-being in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome.

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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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