University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2017 Therapeutic Aspects of Tattoo Acquisition: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Connection Between Psychological Trauma and the Writing of Stories into Flesh Everett W. Painter University of Tennessee, Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Counseling Psychology Commons, and the Counselor Education Commons Recommended Citation Painter, Everett W., "Therapeutic Aspects of Tattoo Acquisition: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Connection Between Psychological Trauma and the Writing of Stories into Flesh. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2017. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4641 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Everett W. Painter entitled "Therapeutic Aspects of Tattoo Acquisition: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Connection Between Psychological Trauma and the Writing of Stories into Flesh." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Counselor Education. Melinda M. Gibbons, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Joel Diambra, Shawn Spurgeon, Sandra Thomas Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Therapeutic Aspects of Tattoo Acquisition: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Connection Between Psychological Trauma and the Writing of Stories into Flesh A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Everett W. Painter August 2017 ii Copyright © 2017 by Everett Painter All rights reserved. iii Dedication To all survivors of psychological trauma. Your courage and perseverance are a testament to the human spirit. iv “Traumatic events are extraordinary…they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life…” (Herman, 1997). v Acknowledgments This work would not have been possible without the support of many people. I thank my family first and foremost. Angela, I am so grateful to have you as my life partner. Thank you for your support and encouragement during the many ups and downs of this journey. You are my joy and my comfort. I look forward to where we go next, and the adventures we will continue to have together along the way. Also to my beautiful children Chloe, Brighton, and Emma. You are a constant source of motivation and inspiration. I know the many long hours over the last several years have been difficult. But I hope that all of you are proud of the work I have done, which always comes back to making a better life for you. I love you. My grandparents Charles and Edith Bush passed away before they got to see me reach this point. Their sacrifices and constant attention to education helped to set me on this path. And his example of responsibility, humility, perseverance, and care for others shaped my growth…and came to bear many times during the completion of this work. I would not be who I am today if not for them. To my father-in-law Steve Ellis, thank you for your interest and support. It has helped in more ways than you know. I appreciate all that you have done for us. And I can finally answer the “when do you graduate” question! I want to express deep appreciation for my dissertation committee. Your mentoring and direction were invaluable. First, my chair Dr. Melinda Gibbons – You helped to bring my scattered vision into focus. Your steadfast expectation of quality pushed me and kept me on track. I have learned so much from you during this process. Dr. Joel Diambra – You were the first person I spoke with in the program and I am glad you are here to see me off. Thank you for the many years of support, attention to detail, and levity. Dr. Shawn Spurgeon – You helped to shape me through your humanity and example of a complete counselor educator. And you always provided a welcome embrace, to my entire family. Dr. Sandra Thomas – Thank you for your kindness and insightful observations. Working with the phenomenology research group has been a wonderful experience. It was instrumental to the success of this project. I feel privileged to spend this time in my life with the faculty of the University of Tennessee counselor education department. I cannot imagine learning from a better group of people. In addition to my committee, I offer special thanks to Dr. Marianne Woodside, Dr. Casey Barrio Minton, and Dr. Jeff Cochran. Each of you provided tremendous support, encouragement, and guidance during my time as a student. I am grateful beyond measure. To my dear friend and counseling buff Dr. Alessandra Rhinehart, thank you for your encouragement and many conversations. It is not possible to list everyone who has made an impact, but thank you to all the other department faculty, colleagues, and friends who made my time here enjoyable and rewarding. I would also like to thank Dr. Paula Stanley. During my earlier work at Radford University, she was the counselor educator who saw my potential, and provided the push and space for it to develop. Finally, I am indebted to those who agreed to be interviewed for this study. You made it possible and will help others through our increased understanding. I deeply appreciate your willingness to share your stories. The courage you demonstrate is remarkable. And I hope each of you will continue to find peace. vi Abstract Since the start of recorded history, accounts are replete of individuals being subjected to unthinkable experiences that possess the power to fundamentally disrupt their lives. Survivors of psychological trauma encounter numerous obstacles on the pathway to recovery (Briere & Scott, 2015). Counselors working with this population continue to search for effective strategies in support of restoration (Boxer & Sloan-Power, 2013). One possibility often discussed by trauma survivors in popular media as helpful is tattoo acquisition. However, our understanding of this body modification practice is incomplete due to a social history of stigma and bias (Stein, 2011). The purpose of this study was to explore the ameliorative and therapeutic factors of tattoo acquisition for adult survivors of trauma. Hermeneutic phenomenology was selected as the means for interpreting the lived experience of six trauma survivors who acquired tattoos directly related to their traumatic life events, against a theoretical background informed by Herman’s (1997) stage model of recovery. Several themes emerged relative to this relationship indicative of a thoughtful expressive act, meaning construction, reclamation of control, calming comfort, and precipitator of growth. These themes represent new knowledge regarding the connection between trauma survivors and the use of tattoos. In essence, tattoo acquisition for these participants facilitated movement from a state of brokenness to one of evolving wholeness. The significance of these findings include contributions to our understanding of this practice that may lead to creative interventions for addressing human suffering and the unique needs of trauma survivors. They also serve to help move the topic of tattooing away from a solely deviant discourse. Implications for both counselors and counselor educators are discussed. Recommendations for future research are also outlined. vii Keywords: psychological trauma, tattoos, therapeutic, counselor education, hermeneutic phenomenology viii Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 Psychological Trauma ................................................................................................................. 1 Trauma Survivors ........................................................................................................................ 2 Post-Traumatic Growth ........................................................................................................... 3 Introduction of Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................... 4 Therapeutic Interventions with Trauma Survivors ..................................................................... 5 Expressive Arts in Counseling ................................................................................................ 6 Tattoo Acquisition ...................................................................................................................... 7 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................ 9 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................. 10 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 11 Significance of the Study .........................................................................................................