The purpose of this research study was to investigate whether specific art therapy interventions can change a person's perspective and facilitate a forgiveness process as a way to resolve interpersonal conflict. There were 32 participants ranging in age from 18 to 64, selected on the basis of current experience of interpersonal conflict. Participants varied in gender identity and in the nature and intensity of the conflict experienced. Forgiveness is defined as (a) a reduction in negative feelings and thoughts, such as anger and the perception of injustice; and (b) an increase in an individual’s degree of self-efficacy. There was a significant decrease in participants’ levels of anger and hurt between the pre-test and the post-test, indicating an increase in forgiveness. Levels of self-efficacy increased as well, although the findings were not significant. The artwork displayed both the participants’ improving ability to recognize self-subjugating narratives and their efforts to change such narratives into new behavioral patterns.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this research study was to investigate whether specific art therapy interventions can change a person's perspective and facilitate a forgiveness process as a way to resolve interpersonal conflict. There were 32 participants ranging in age from 18 to 64, selected on the basis of current experience of interpersonal conflict. Participants varied in gender identity and in the nature and intensity of the conflict experienced. Forgiveness is defined as (a) a reduction in negative feelings and thoughts, such as anger and the perception of injustice; and (b) an increase in an individual’s degree of self-efficacy. There was a significant decrease in participants’ levels of anger and hurt between the pre-test and the post-test, indicating an increase in forgiveness. Levels of self-efficacy increased as well, although the findings were not significant. The artwork displayed both the participants’ improving ability to recognize self-subjugating narratives and their efforts to change such narratives into new behavioral patterns.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Georgeson, Sasha"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy","degree_level":"Master's Thesis","degree_discipline":"Art Therapy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jennifer Harrison, PsyD, DAAETS, ATR-BC","Caroline Morton, LMFT, ATR-BC"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:06:30Z","subjects":["Art Therapy","Counseling Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-print-theses/285","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Jennifer Harrison, PsyD, DAAETS, ATR-BC","Caroline Morton, LMFT, ATR-BC"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Georgeson, Sasha"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2021-09-27T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Art Therapy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Art Therapy","Counseling Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-print-theses/285"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this research study was to investigate whether specific art therapy interventions can change a person's perspective and facilitate a forgiveness process as a way to resolve interpersonal conflict. There were 32 participants ranging in age from 18 to 64, selected on the basis of current experience of interpersonal conflict. Participants varied in gender identity and in the nature and intensity of the conflict experienced. Forgiveness is defined as (a) a reduction in negative feelings and thoughts, such as anger and the perception of injustice; and (b) an increase in an individual’s degree of self-efficacy. There was a significant decrease in participants’ levels of anger and hurt between the pre-test and the post-test, indicating an increase in forgiveness. Levels of self-efficacy increased as well, although the findings were not significant. The artwork displayed both the participants’ improving ability to recognize self-subjugating narratives and their efforts to change such narratives into new behavioral patterns.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Resolving Interpersonal Conflict Using an Art Therapy forgiveness Intervention"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Jennifer Harrison, PsyD, DAAETS, ATR-BC","Caroline Morton, LMFT, ATR-BC"],"dc:creator":["Georgeson, Sasha"],"dc:date.available":["2021-09-27T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this research study was to investigate whether specific art therapy interventions can change a person's perspective and facilitate a forgiveness process as a way to resolve interpersonal conflict. There were 32 participants ranging in age from 18 to 64, selected on the basis of current experience of interpersonal conflict. Participants varied in gender identity and in the nature and intensity of the conflict experienced. Forgiveness is defined as (a) a reduction in negative feelings and thoughts, such as anger and the perception of injustice; and (b) an increase in an individual’s degree of self-efficacy. There was a significant decrease in participants’ levels of anger and hurt between the pre-test and the post-test, indicating an increase in forgiveness. Levels of self-efficacy increased as well, although the findings were not significant. The artwork displayed both the participants’ improving ability to recognize self-subjugating narratives and their efforts to change such narratives into new behavioral patterns.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-print-theses/285"],"dc:subject":["Art Therapy","Counseling Psychology"],"dc:title":["Resolving Interpersonal Conflict Using an Art Therapy forgiveness Intervention"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Art Therapy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:06:30Z"}