Introduction to Beyond Words: Healing Trauma through Art Therapy

During my senior year at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz, I dedicated my Visual Arts Capstone Exhibition and Honors Program Thesis research to the exploration of Art Therapy among vulnerable populations.

With the oversight of my advisor, Cheryl Wheat-Schmidt, I wrote and presented my Honor's thesis paper on the processes and efficacy of Art Therapy, and the healing it offers for refugee traumas. Building upon this research, I created an exhibition of metalworks discussing the psychological symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from life in exile.

Visit my Visual Arts Capstone Exhibition: Inner Visions

For my thesis paper, I interviewed 5 licensed art therapists in my local area, read countless scholarly articles and clinical studies, gathered information on the available graduate study programs, and relayed the information I collected through a conversational, written format.

Link to recorded presentation and thesis paper coming soon - stay tuned!

In the subsequent posts, you can follow the conceptual process and construction of each Thesis Exhibition metal work. As I complete my Thesis paper, I will record the resources I used and the information I gathered.