Abstract
This arts-based phenomenological study explored the personal identities of four active
duty (AD) military spouses based on their perspectives and lived experiences in civilian and
military communities. Co-researchers engaged in art therapy interventions at a public library in
the rural Midwest. The co-researchers were led through abstract self-portrait collage making, a
reflective writing exercise, and a group discussion regarding the personal meanings, experiences,
and identities related to the content they had created. The visual data were converted to textual
data and organized using the expressive therapies continuum (ETC). Through phenomenological
methods, the themes developed from the data were as follows: (1) Social connections and coping
strategies, and (2) Living the military lifestyle and navigating communities. The social
implications of this study are an increased understanding of the experiences of AD military
spouses, which may help civilians and professionals develop new perspectives on military life
and help inform future military spouse support programs.
