Drag as a Method of Expressive Art Therapy For LGBT+ Individuals

The field of expressive art therapies utilize the process of creativity to promote therapeutic healing. The focus of this thesis is the mental health concerns that impact the LGBT+ community, and how the art of drag performance can be implemented as an arts-based treatment approach for this population. Traditional forms of mental health treatment reflect majority values that discount the experiences of queer individuals, despite the disproportionately high levels of mental health challenges faced by the LGBT+ population compared to those who identify as heteronormative. The research included in this thesis explores the mental health concerns prevalent within the LGBT+ community, how the principles of the expressive arts are able to address such concerns, and the value drag holds as an art form for queer people. The specific therapeutic domaines identified as holding the most relevance to the mental health of the LGBT+ population are: community relations, societal rejection, identity expression, and self image