Art therapy interventions for active duty military service members with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT

This paper provides an overview of short and long-term art therapy treatment approaches, used in the USA, for military service members with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The described clinical approaches are based on the theoretical foundations and the art therapists’ experiences in providing individualised care for the unique needs of the patient population. The art therapy models and directives are designed to be more therapist-led in the short-term model, moving on to an increasingly patient-led format in the long-term treatment model. The overall objectives of art therapy are: to support identity integration, externalisation, and authentic self-expression; to promote group cohesion; and to process grief, loss, and trauma. In addition, programme evaluation is used in both settings as a means to understand participants’ experiences and the perceived value of art therapy.

KEYWORDS:

• Art therapy
• military
• post-traumatic stress
• PTSD
• TBI
• service members
• active duty

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. The views express in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of the Army/Navy/Air Force, Department of Defense, or US Government.

Notes on contributors

Jacqueline P. Jones, MEd, MA, ATR, is a Creative Arts Therapist at the Intrepid Spirit Center at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, where she provides art therapy services to active duty service members recovering from traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts, she established the Creative Arts Therapies programme at the Intrepid Spirit Center at Fort Belvoir after interning at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. She is an art therapist within Creative Forces: The NEA/Military Healing Arts Network, and she has focused on providing art therapy, program development and expansion, and on exploring and identifying the unique value of art therapy in interdisciplinary rehabilitation settings for service members recovering from invisible wounds of war. Prior to pursuing a career in art therapy, Jackie was an art educator in Fairfax County Public Schools. She earned her Master's degree in Art Therapy from the George Washington University, and her Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Art Education from the University of Maryland. She is a practicing visual artist.

Melissa S. Walker, MA ATR, moved to the National Capital Region in 2008 to work for the Department of Defense after earning a Master's in Art Therapy from NYU. Ms. Walker developed and implemented the NICoE Healing Arts Program at Walter Reed Bethesda, MD, US, to explore the integration and research of the creative arts therapies for service members with traumatic brain injury and psychological health concerns. Ms. Walker currently serves as the programme's coordinator and also acts as lead art therapist for Creative Forces: the NEA/Military Healing Arts Network - a collaboration aimed to expand clinical and community arts access for the military population.

Jessica Masino Drass, MA, ATR-BC, is currently a research fellow at Drexel University in the Creative Arts Therapy PhD programme working under Dr. Girija Kaimal. Jessica specializes in the treatment of complex trauma and dissociation, and has published articles on Treating Borderline Personality from a Dialectical Behavior Therapy framework and Punk Rock Art Therapy. She is a graduate of Drexel University’s art therapy program, and also has an MA in School Psychology from Rowan University, and BA in Fine Art from Rutgers University. Jessica also co-founded Wise Mind Creations, LLC, a community art studio specialising in mindfulness training.

Dr. Girija Kaimal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Creative Arts Therapies at Drexel University. Her research examines physiological and psychological outcomes of creative visual self-expression. Girija currently leads two federally funded studies examining arts-based approaches to health among caregivers and military service members. She has led longitudinal evaluation research studies examining arts-based approaches to leadership development and teacher incentives and won national awards for her research. Girija is the Chair of the Research Committee for the American Art Therapy Association, Assessment Fellow for Drexel University, and, is a practicing visual artist. Dr. Kaimal has a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University, a Master’s in Art Therapy from Drexel University, and a Bachelor’s in design from the National Institute of Design in India.

ORCID

Jacqueline P. Jones http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8484-2891

Melissa S. Walker http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9375-567X

Jessica Masino Drass http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9867-4019

Girija Kaimal http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7316-0473

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Endowment for the Arts.