ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This study examined psychological changes related to the expansion of self-expression and identity awareness within the therapeutic process of person-centered art therapy in a multicultural adolescent whose self-expression had been constrained by linguistic burden and evaluation anxiety. A qualitative single-case design was employed with a first-year middle school student, involving twelve individual art therapy sessions. Data were collected through session records, artwork analysis, and pre- and post-administration of the House-Tree-Person (HTP) drawing test. Findings revealed a gradual shift from initially constricted and defensive responses to the naming of emotions, articulation of subjective preferences, and symbolic organization of personal experiences linked to the self-concept. This change reflected a qualitative transformation rather than a simple increase in expressiveness. The process was accompanied by an expansion of identity awareness, as emotional recognition facilitated the integration of past, present, and future experiences, including the participant’s multicultural background. The results suggest that person-centered art therapy can provide a psychologically safe environment that fosters deepened self-expression and expanded identity awareness in multicultural adolescents.

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