Date of Award

Spring 5-18-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA - Master of Arts

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Dr. Chyela Rowe

Abstract

Survivors of mass shootings often suffer from psychological impact and mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prolonged grief, depression, and anxiety. These individuals, who have been directly or indirectly exposed to the trauma, may find it challenging to find support and services that cater to their unique needs. Currently, there is no established framework for treating survivors of mass shootings. However, practitioners have proposed guidelines that incorporate trauma-informed practices. This literature review aims to explore how the use of trauma-informed expressive and creative arts therapies can provide an alternative to talk-based therapies when working with individuals and communities impacted by mass violence. This review examines the psychological impact on survivors and barriers to treatment and services using peer-reviewed research, case studies, and personal accounts. It also explores how creative and expressive arts therapies align with the core principles of trauma-informed practices, making them a possible treatment option for this population. Lastly, this literature review examines how expressive and arts-based therapies can align themselves with other evidence-based therapeutic models and contribute to the academic discourse by researching and publishing findings on the therapeutic benefits of the creative arts in therapy.

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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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