Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics as an Evaluation Instrument
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2022 Upcoming: Does healing and wellbeing occur in online digital object encounters? My forthcoming project will identify how the Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics mechanism is experienced in digital environments via an evaluation of the healthful and healing impacts of Your Story/Our Story, an innovative, open sourced exhibition featuring personal objects and object stories at the Tenement Museum www.tenement.org www.yourstory.tenement.org
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2019 Stories From Syria Exhibition Evaluation
Medelhavet Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities
Stockholm, Sweden
A Qualitative Study of the Exhibition’s Impacts and Psychological Affects
of its Object-Based Experiences with Object Donors, Museum Staff, and Visitors
Brenda Cowan's Lecture:
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Världskulturmuseerna / National Museums of World Culture
Article Report
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Synopsis
In this time of unprecedented global refugee crises, museums are uniquely positioned to provide forums for physical, emotional and intellectual safety, community building and healing. In participatory museum environments and processes that feature the voices of individuals, and incorporation of personal “everyday” objects, such as in the exhibition Stories from Syria, institutions are having a powerful and healthful impact on their constituencies. This study with museum visitors, staff, and Syrian object donors utilized the Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics framework as an evaluation instrument, and found that the experience of sharing stories of meaningful everyday objects to be a profound part of trauma healing and mental wellness.
The evaluation of the highly participatory Stories From Syria exhibition at Medelhavet identified where and in what ways the goals of the exhibition were met, the ways in which the museum’s relationship with their Syrian constituency have been fostered, and where and in what ways the exhibition project impacted the psychological health, healing and wellbeing of object donors, visitors and museum staff. The evaluation findings and outcomes provide a model for the broader museum community about the power of participation and co-creation, and inform the curatorial, museum education and exhibition design disciplines about the meaningfulness of ordinary/personal objects and modes of display on participant-object engagement. The evaluation also produced data that contributes to advancing scholarship related to studies in health, wellbeing and healing through exhibition experiences on museum constituents.
