Examining the Impact of Art Therapy Related Activities and Emotional Well-being: Make & Take Mondays Program

• Main Authors: Simerly, Monica, McVeigh, Mina, Novotny, Bethany, Brown, Jamie, Blankenship, Cecil
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2019
• Subjects: art therapy; emotional well-being; counseling; Counseling or Guidance; Psychology; Rehabilitation or Therapy
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/asrf/2019/schedule/45; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1454&context=asrf

Various emotional well-being issues often arise in college students. Participation in creative activities, regardless of previous art experience, contributes to a significant decrease in cortisol levels, resulting in less stress. However, to better understand the impact of art therapy related activities on well-being, it is important to examine what specific areas of emotional well-being may be applied to specific art activities. The Make and Take Mondays Program was implemented through the East Tennessee State University Counseling Center and provided students with the opportunity to participate in seven different art therapy related activities. Each activity examined a specific area of emotional well-being, which consisted of the following: balance stones, stress-relief hemp bracelets, self-awareness magnets, mindfulness painting, mental health awareness rock painting, gratitude journals and self-expression prayer flags. Students were then given informational handouts in reference to research on each specific activity, information about the counseling resources available on campus and the opportunity to complete an optional quick survey and/or additional survey. As a result of implementing the Make and Take Mondays program and compiling survey results, it was determined that the majority of students found the program to be helpful and reported feeling calm and positive while participating in the activities. It was also determined that art therapy related activities may be contrived to address specific areas of emotional well-being, which can lead to a decrease in emotional well-being issues in college students.