INTERNal Experience: How Previous Medical Trauma Influences Identity

Abstract

This arts-based phenomenological study intended to extend themes from Jarrett’s (2016) artsbased phenomenological study, which explored the evolving identity of a graduate art therapy student. The researcher/participant of this study specifically explored how her past medical trauma continues to influence her current personal and professional identity development, while at her current clinical internship at a pediatric hospital. This participant replicated Jarrett’s (2016) methodology by completing the Twenty-StatementTest (TST), following the creation of artwork for six weeks. Upon the completion of data collection, the participant took part in a semi-structured interview with an independent reviewer. The purpose of the independent reviewer was to aid in the process of the interpretive phenomenological systematic analysis, which included the TST responses to recognize and categorize themes to further understand certain influences of one’s personal and professional identity. The researcher utilized three of the four categories that Jarrett (2016) identified; familial, sociocultural, and educational, as a framework for the early development of data analysis. The researcher extended categories in this study to include medical and trauma influences. As a result of this process, further themes evolved in the understanding of how traumatic experiences influence one’s identity. The researcher’s pediatric medical experience influenced the artwork and TST. The results of the interpretive phenomenological systematic analysis indicated that the following eight themes influenced the participant’s personal and professional identity: giving, self, success, interpersonal relationships, mother, somatic experiences, values and memories.