ABSTRACT

Qualitative art therapy studies address how and why questions through words and images to represent feelings, expressions, states, and perspectives of human experiences. The aim is to unpack the nature of humankind through rich and vibrant accounts that embrace an interconnection between the participant, the researcher, and the art therapy experience. This chapter provides a comprehensive guide to applications of qualitative research methods in art therapy. The importance of thoughtfully determining qualitative research questions, philosophical assumptions, and paradigms toward situating, shaping, comprehending, and addressing the specified research problem is explained. Factors impacting qualitative procedures are elucidated, including selection of participants, setting, and research design. Classic qualitative data collection and data analysis strategies are reviewed and illustrated with relevant examples of art therapy studies to illuminate how these methods can be applied. Finally, techniques to evaluate and enhance study quality while also emphasizing the moral and ethical responsibilities of the qualitative art therapy researcher are explained.