An Art Therapy Interns Experience With Adolescent Males In A Residential Group Home Facility PDF Download

This study attempts to explore the use of body art in art therapy with adolescent boys in residential treatment to increase engagement and self-expression. This theoretical research is based on my work as an art therapy intern at a residential facility for young people in Evanston, Illinois. In my work with adolescent boys, I witnessed their natural proclivity to use their bodies as a way to express their identity: their physical posturing, clothing and accessories, body movement and gesture, as well as their use of self-adhesive tattoos and writing or drawing on their arms and hands were all a means of self-expression for them. For the purposes of this paper, body art is defined as body painting, image transfers, projected images, body casting, and body adornment. The research for this thesis includes a historical and sociocultural overview of body art, its therapeutic applications, and interviews with art therapists who have worked with adolescent males in residential treatment about their experiences and application of body art both in their personal and professional practice. Research results indicated a greater modern-day acceptance of the use of body art, a lack of art therapy literature relating to the use of body art in art therapy practice, and a need to expand the definition of body art to include various impermanent forms and material types. This thesis proposes a framework for the application of impermanent body art interventions in art therapy with adolescent males in residential treatment. The framework emphasizes: 1) the need for a clear definition of body art delineating inclusion and exclusion of specific materials and processes, 2) clear intentions and rational behind the application of body art with adolescent boys in residential treatment, and 3) an examination of the potential benefits and risks of using body art with this population in order to make informed choices regarding process and materials.