Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Using Art Therapy to Empower Young Kenyan Girls

Spisak, Stephanie

Abstract Details

2008, Master of Arts, Ursuline College, Art Therapy and Counseling.
Maasai girls in Kenya are sent to boarding schools to escape unfair expectations, female circumcision and early marriage, or are rescued from broken homes and early traumatic experiences due to extreme abuse, poverty, or neglect. They have often lost parents to HIV/AIDS, addictions, or abandonment. Once at school, their self-worth and esteem barely exist. They carry great shame and intense worry being separated from their families, have immense self-doubt concerning a positive future, carry fear from their sex in a gender-biased society, and feel lost having no sense of belonging. They steal from and mistreat each other, their teachers are strict and demeaning, and they come from backgrounds not safe enough to call home. Through individual art therapy sessions, these girls were given a voice and opportunity to be appreciated, accepted, and nurtured. They were able to ventilate their feelings in a safe and age-appropriate way, cope with stress, and develop a positive self-image. Their art empowered them to be able to forgive their pasts, cherish the present, and strive to create meaningful futures.
Cecile Brennan, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Cecile Brennan, Ph.D., LPCC-S (Advisor)
Gail Rule-Hoffman, ATR-BC, LPC, CCDCIII (Advisor)
152 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Spisak, S. (2008). Using Art Therapy to Empower Young Kenyan Girls [Master's thesis, Ursuline College]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=urs1209239573

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Spisak, Stephanie. Using Art Therapy to Empower Young Kenyan Girls. 2008. Ursuline College, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=urs1209239573.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Spisak, Stephanie. "Using Art Therapy to Empower Young Kenyan Girls." Master's thesis, Ursuline College, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=urs1209239573

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)