A Qualitative Case Study on ETC-Based Art Therapy for Enhancing the Self-Efficacy of a Child from a Single-Parent Family

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of a child from a single-parent family in an art therapy process designed to improve self-efficacy, using the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC), which explains various surface experiences and the therapeutic dimension of creative recovery, and to explore the meaning and changes of those experiences. A total of 20 art therapy sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, were conducted weekly from April 23 to September 3, 2024. The participant is a third-grade elementary school student who experienced parental divorce at the age of six and a half and is currently facing diffi culties in school. The results of this study are as follows. First, the participant utilized the sensory and per ceptual levels of ETC to identify and freely express suppressed emotions. Second, the study participants formed self-esteem and self-efficacy by positively looking at their abilities and achievements, focusing on the affective and symbolic levels of ETC. Third, the study participants restored confidence in interpersonal relationships and formed positive social bonds through the creative level and integrated approach of ETC.