Chosen Family in LGBTQ+ Community: Creating Feeling of Safety Through Collage in Art Therapy
This student research study investigates how collage demonstrates feelings of safety with chosen family within the LGBTQ+ community as a minority group who has undergone much discrimination and exclusion from their biological family and society at large. Currently, within the field of art therapy, there is minimal research on LGBTQ+ community, especially in regards to kinship and family. The only research about chosen family was conducted by anthropologist, Kath Weston, in the 1990’s.The student researcher defines chosen family and discusses different alternative kinship theories and practices in the last three decades. The review discusses how queer people have created meaningful networks of kin and families within organized queer collectives, friendships, lovers, adoption, insemination, and biological family. The research also discusses acceptance and commitment therapy and incorporates a body scan in the study to add a mindfulness component. Research collected was qualitative using open-ended questions and dialogue, a body scan, and a twenty-minute collage. The research was conducted on a one-on-one basis with four queer adults ages 28 to 43. The sample method was from voluntary response from queer adults affiliated with Dominican University. The results of the study supported how chosen family creates feelings of safety in the LGBTQ+ community through themes of safety, support, and food. Recommendations for future research would be to find a larger sample size and a more diverse range of participants in terms of race, culture, and gender expression.
LGBTQ, Chosen Family, Queer, Collage, Kinship, Art Therapy, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling
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