Book Description

This dissertation, "Inhabited Studio: Art Therapy and Mindfulness With Survivors of Political Violence" by Debra, Kalmanowitz, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: The objective of this study is to understand the ways in which art therapy and mindfulness meditation form a working model specific to the context of political violence and refugees. This is a qualitative phenomenological study based on the social constructivist paradigm. Twelve refugees in Hong Kong from multiple cultures took part in two intensive full two-day art therapy and mindfulness meditation workshops over the space of eight days. In an art therapy studio (later called the Inhabited Studio) participants engaged in art making that stimulated imagination and in mindfulness meditation practice. The research looks at how participants responded to the approach, what their perceptions were and what they found useful. Different aspects of the Inhabited Studio appealed to participants based on their specific worldview, culture, religion, and coping style. Responses to the Inhabited Studio are organized into seven thematic clusters: five of these are organized in two broad categories composed of personal elements (memory, identity) and mediating aspects (emotional/self-regulation, communication, imagination) and the final two, resilience and worldview, span both categories. Participants found the Inhabited Studio culturally compatible and some of the acquired skills helpful in times of stress, indicating the contribution of this combination to enhancing coping and to building resilience. Subjects: Political refugees - Counseling of Meditation Art therapy