Educational Art Therapy Resources at UMass Amherst
Presenter: Rowan Lily Boyer
Faculty Sponsor: Rebecca Ready
School: UMass Amherst
Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
Session: Poster Session 6, 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM, Auditorium, A28
ABSTRACT
The University of Massachusetts does not offer educational resources relating to art therapy, thus, students interested in pursuing art therapy do not have access to resources that offer information and guidance. To provide a rich and useful resource for these students, through analysis of primary research articles and conducting semi-structured interviews, I will gather data on the efficacy of art therapy interventions, graduate schools and application tips, steps to create a BDIC program, and first-person experiences of the process of specializing in art therapy. This information will be collected and presented in a printable and downloadable zine that can be posted and distributed to students interested in learning more about art therapy. Additionally, I hypothesize that the current lack of educational art therapy related resources allocated at UMass Amherst does not reflect undergraduate student interest in the subject. UMass Amherst undergraduate students will be surveyed to determine if they are interested in having educational resources about art therapy available on campus. The long-term goal of this Honors Thesis is to make sure the number and quality of allocated art therapy-related resources on campus accurately reflects the level of student interest. Students deserve to have everything they need to thrive at UMass Amherst. Through this project I want to give interested students a voice, uninformed students a spark, and make a small step towards breaking down large cultural and psychological barriers to learning more about art therapy.