Combating Self-Objectification and Nurutring Self-Concept: Art Therapy Interventions with Adolescent Girls

The pilot study examined the ability of Cognitive-Behavioral art therapy interventions to increase self-concept and lower self-objectification levels among a treatment group of adolescent girls ages 11-13 years. Altered books were used as a container for these interventions. By the end of the six-week Cognitive-Behavioral art therapy intervention, positive correlations were found among several of the self-concept variables for which the pilot study measured. However, overall self-concept levels were shown to have decreased, and the construct of self-­objectification was not lowered, nor did it change significantly. Cultural and theoretical implications for art therapy practice with adolescents were discussed