This is the final installment in a series of five stories about recent Herron graduates whose creative practices include research, teaching, and clinical approaches.
Part 1 of our graduate spotlights on art therapy featured master-level practitioners who are soon to be registered art therapists and licensed mental health counselors. Here we highlight a second round of thesis projects that will offer insights into various ways of using art therapy to heal people of all ages and backgrounds.
Natasha Chopra
Avon, Ind.
M.A. Art Therapy '20
Traditionally, art therapists have worked in clinical settings, such as hospitals and private practices. In recent years, however, they have extended their practice into public, non-clinical environments, including museums and art galleries.
Art therapists, as well as museums and galleries, strive to increase public access to the arts, involve the public in the creative process, and improve their local communities. Since collaboration between the two seems inevitable, I have set out to create a framework for partnership, particularly for adolescent audiences as a mental health treatment.
The end-product of my research is a plan to develop an art therapy program for adolescents in an Indianapolis-based museum or art gallery. Community-based art therapy is unique in that it aims to resolve the stigma of mental health and to increase access to care in a supportive, public setting, rather than a closed and conventional environment.
It is my hope that art therapists will use this framework as an inspiration and as a guide to implementing programs in their own local museums and art galleries.
Ashleigh Mower
Zionsville, Ind.
M.A. Art Therapy '20
I spent the past year researching the use of the Face Stimulus Assessment, an art-based cognitive assessment designed to facilitate the creation of artwork, for individuals diagnosed with early-stage dementia. Little research has been done on the application of the assessment for those diagnosed with dementia.
My thesis is a case study with an individual who completed the Face Stimulus Assessment. The results were promising and the average scores from all three stimulus drawings were consistent with an early-stage dementia diagnosis. This suggests that the assessment may be a good baseline reference to monitor the progression of a dementia diagnosis.
My hope is that this will possibly inspire more research into the use of the Face Stimulus Assessment in individuals diagnosed with dementia and whether the signs of dementia are visible in artwork.
Maria Valeria Guzman
Cumberland, Ind.
M.A. Art Therapy '20
As a Latina woman, I want to use my voice to contribute to the field of art therapy, because the ethnic and racial demographics of art therapists are extremely homogeneous. A diversity of multicultural viewpoints is required to better represent a spectrum of voices within the United States.
My research project provides art therapists working in marginalized communities with a step-by-step guide and recommended actions for an ethical decision-making process. This model will also help them recognize gaps in existing services and support families in these areas. My aim is to encourage art therapists to help give voice to disadvantaged populations.
I hope that my thesis will help the field to move towards a more holistic approach to providing art therapy in urban areas and ultimately lead to more diversity in the field. This will strengthen the practice of art therapy and open the doors to more innovative ideas and perspectives.
