Easing Transition: The Journal as a Transitional Object for Adolescents in Emergency Shelter Care

Abstract

The 437,283 children involved in the foster care system, specifically the adolescents in institutions like emergency shelter care, present specific needs including continuity, trauma-informed care, and positive relationships. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to explore how a journal could act as a transitional object (TO) to help meet the needs of adolescents in emergency shelter care. It was hypothesized that the use of a reflective visual journal will act as a TO and help meet the needs of this population. Resulting from this research is a proposal for making a journal for use as TO in a therapeutic workshop. Literature was reviewed through an integrative literature review, which used representative literature to form new perspectives on the topics. Resulting from this research is a proposal for making a journal for use as TO in a therapeutic workshop. From this research and workshop proposal, art therapy and journaling can be used to create TO that can help bring healing to and meet the needs of adolescents in emergency shelter care.