Using Expressive Arts Therapy to Foster Psychopolitical Well-being for Youth of Color
Conference Strand
Research and Theory
Abstract
For youth of color, creative self-expression can be a form of resistance to oppression and marginalization. This interactive presentation will highlight the use of Ethnopolitical Theory in Expressive Arts Therapy to promote the psychopolitical well-being for youth of color and encourage actions toward liberation in K-12 settings.
Evidence
Bella, K. I., & Serlin, I. A. (2013). Expressive and Creative Therapies. In H. L. Friedman & G. Hartclius (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology (529-543). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Comez-Diaz, L. (2000). An ethnopolitical approach to working with people of color. American Psychologist, 55(11), 1319-1325.
Diamond, S., & Lev-Wiesel, R. (2017). The title "therapy" and what do you do with it as a child? Recollections of being in child expressive arts group therapy. Clinical Child Psychology, 22(1), 151-164. doi/10.1177/1359104516656723
Furman, R., Langer, C., Davis, C. S., Gallardo, H. P., & Kulkarni, S. (2007). Expressive, research, and reflective poetry as qualitative inquiry: A study of adolescent identity. Qualitative Research, 7(3), 301-315.
Jamerson, J. L. (2014). Expressive remix therapy: Using digital media art in therapeutic group sessions with children and adolescents. Creative Nursing, 19(4), 182-188.
Prilleltensky, I. (2003). Understanding, resisting, and overcoming oppression: Toward psychopolitical well-being. American Journal of Counseling Psychology, 21(1), 195-201.
Rosen, C. M., & Atkins, S. S. (2014). Am I doing expressive arts therapy or creativity in counseling? Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 9, 292-303.
Format
Individual Presentations
Biographical Sketch
Whitney G. McLaughlin is a second-year doctoral student in the Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development (ELPHD) Counselor Education program at North Carolina State University. She is a graduate assistant at NC State’s Poole College of Management and a Chapter Resident Director with Fraternity & Sorority Life. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) in North Carolina and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She has had one year of counseling experience (post-licensure) in residential, university, and private practice settings.
Latonya M. Graham is a National Certified Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor. She is a Counselor Education doctoral candidate and the 2016-2017 Wilkinson Graduate Ethics Fellow at North Carolina State University. Latonya has over a decade of counseling experience serving children and adults, as well as couples and families, in various public and private settings. Her research interests include ethics, aging population, and racial disparities in mental health.
Start Date
2-9-2018 10:45 AM
End Date
2-9-2018 12:00 PM
Recommended Citation
McLaughlin, Whitney and Graham, LaTonya, "Using Expressive Arts Therapy to Foster Psychopolitical Well-being for Youth of Color" (2018). National Cross-Cultural Counseling and Education Conference for Research, Action, and Change. 14.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ccec/2018/2018/14
Using Expressive Arts Therapy to Foster Psychopolitical Well-being for Youth of Color
For youth of color, creative self-expression can be a form of resistance to oppression and marginalization. This interactive presentation will highlight the use of Ethnopolitical Theory in Expressive Arts Therapy to promote the psychopolitical well-being for youth of color and encourage actions toward liberation in K-12 settings.
Description
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, since the 2016 election more hate incidents have occurred in America’s schools than anywhere else. Hundreds of elementary, middle and high schools around the country have been at the forefront of troubling events, from hate symbols plastered on school grounds to much worse: a hijab pulled off a Muslim student, physical fights with racial epithets flung, even death threats. These incidents are a systemic problem in America’s education system and reflect the divisive political climate.
Creative self-expression can be a form of resistance to oppression and marginalization. The use of expressive arts therapy to promote the psychopolitical well-being of youth of color will be discussed using an ethnopolitical approach. First, Comas-Diaz’s ethnopolitical model is discussed, along with expressive arts interventions used with teens and adolescents. Next, overarching principles of psychopolitical well-being will be explored, and each domain (i.e., collective, relational, and personal) will be explained in terms of major goals. By using an ethnopolitical approach in expressive arts therapy, counselors can encourage youth of color to challenge oppressive systems and participate in advocacy and social justice efforts. Thus, they can become empowered to engage in self-preservative behaviors and prevent or reduce internalized oppression as part of the therapeutic process. We will also use case examples in addition to didactic information. Objectives include the following: