This study tested the use of mindfulness based art therapy through the theoretical approach of Focusing Oriented Art Therapy, to reduce stress for elementary school teachers. Nineteen teachers were recruited from an elementary school located in the Bay Area, for a two-week take home exercise that included a pre and posttest using the Teacher Concerns Inventory to assess levels of stress. The intervention included a mindfulness exercise and mandala making while focusing on a positive experience within the week. Qualitative data was collected from teacher responses to the artwork and artwork was assessed using the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS). Quantitative data was collected from the Teacher Concerns Inventory and results from a one-tail paired samples t-test showed a statistically significant reduction in reported stress levels. These results support the hypothesis that a two-week mindfulness based art therapy exercise support stress reduction for teachers.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study tested the use of mindfulness based art therapy through the theoretical approach of Focusing Oriented Art Therapy, to reduce stress for elementary school teachers. Nineteen teachers were recruited from an elementary school located in the Bay Area, for a two-week take home exercise that included a pre and posttest using the Teacher Concerns Inventory to assess levels of stress. The intervention included a mindfulness exercise and mandala making while focusing on a positive experience within the week. Qualitative data was collected from teacher responses to the artwork and artwork was assessed using the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS). Quantitative data was collected from the Teacher Concerns Inventory and results from a one-tail paired samples t-test showed a statistically significant reduction in reported stress levels. These results support the hypothesis that a two-week mindfulness based art therapy exercise support stress reduction for teachers.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Robinson, Melissa Jennifer"],"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":["Amy Backos, PhD, ATR-BC","Ellen McCabe-Wackwitz, LMFT, ART-BC"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:06:14Z","subjects":["Art Therapy","Mindfulness","Stress","Educators","Counseling Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-print-theses/296","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Amy Backos, PhD, ATR-BC","Ellen McCabe-Wackwitz, LMFT, ART-BC"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Robinson, Melissa Jennifer"]}]},{"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","Mindfulness","Stress","Educators","Counseling Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-print-theses/296"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study tested the use of mindfulness based art therapy through the theoretical approach of Focusing Oriented Art Therapy, to reduce stress for elementary school teachers. Nineteen teachers were recruited from an elementary school located in the Bay Area, for a two-week take home exercise that included a pre and posttest using the Teacher Concerns Inventory to assess levels of stress. The intervention included a mindfulness exercise and mandala making while focusing on a positive experience within the week. Qualitative data was collected from teacher responses to the artwork and artwork was assessed using the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS). Quantitative data was collected from the Teacher Concerns Inventory and results from a one-tail paired samples t-test showed a statistically significant reduction in reported stress levels. These results support the hypothesis that a two-week mindfulness based art therapy exercise support stress reduction for teachers.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Application of Mindfulness Based Art Therapy to Reduce Stress for Teachers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Amy Backos, PhD, ATR-BC","Ellen McCabe-Wackwitz, LMFT, ART-BC"],"dc:creator":["Robinson, Melissa Jennifer"],"dc:date.available":["2021-09-27T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study tested the use of mindfulness based art therapy through the theoretical approach of Focusing Oriented Art Therapy, to reduce stress for elementary school teachers. Nineteen teachers were recruited from an elementary school located in the Bay Area, for a two-week take home exercise that included a pre and posttest using the Teacher Concerns Inventory to assess levels of stress. The intervention included a mindfulness exercise and mandala making while focusing on a positive experience within the week. Qualitative data was collected from teacher responses to the artwork and artwork was assessed using the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS). Quantitative data was collected from the Teacher Concerns Inventory and results from a one-tail paired samples t-test showed a statistically significant reduction in reported stress levels. These results support the hypothesis that a two-week mindfulness based art therapy exercise support stress reduction for teachers.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-print-theses/296"],"dc:subject":["Art Therapy","Mindfulness","Stress","Educators","Counseling Psychology"],"dc:title":["The Application of Mindfulness Based Art Therapy to Reduce Stress for Teachers"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Art Therapy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:06:14Z"}