Using Art Therapy to Improve Internal Communication and
Address Workplace Challenges: Enhancing Collaboration,
Employee Health, and Well-being in Organizational Settings
Juanita Gallego Tarazona
Dissertation
Master in Management
Supervised by
Carlos Cabral Cardoso
2024/2025
,Acknowledgements
I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to my closest support
network—my family and friends—for believing in me when I made the decision to pursue
my studies in Portugal, and for accompanying me on this journey of discovery, self-
recognition, and both personal and professional growth. It has undoubtedly been a path filled
with challenges, responsibilities, and invaluable lessons that I will always cherish.
I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Professor Carlos Cabral Cardoso, for his
valuable guidance, insightful input, and constant support throughout the development of this
dissertation.
I would also like to extend my thanks to the art therapists Maggi Colwell, Anne-Claire
Hoyaux, and Santiago Sánchez for their remarkable insights and their sensitivity toward the
field of mental health through an artistic perspective.
My sincere thanks go to the directors and colleagues at my workplace,
CrunchEquation, whose support and collaboration made the realization of the art therapy
workshops possible. Without their confidence in and approval of this initiative, its
implementation would not have been feasible.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the University of Porto, the Faculty of Economics,
and the professors who played a meaningful role in my academic path. I am especially
thankful to Helena Maia, who supported me from the very beginning with valuable advice,
and to Professor Luísa Helena Pinto, for her warmth, dedication, and encouragement.
ii
,Abstract
The aim of the study is to explore the potential of art therapy as a non-clinical innovative
mental health tool to improve internal communication and employee well-being in
organizational contexts. The dissertation intends to propose an actionable framework to
integrate art therapy into company practices. The study implemented a qualitative research
design, followed by a workplace intervention conducted in a Portuguese mid-sized
company which involved three art therapy workshops with 20 employees. Data was
collected through semi-structured interviews with participants, a company team leader and
two art therapists’ experts, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that
participants experienced improvements in their personal and professional expression. The
results suggest that art therapy, beyond its traditional clinical use, may serve as a valuable
practice within workplace initiatives, contributing to a more communicative and healthier
organizational environment. The results also show the potential of art therapy in the
organizational sphere, cementing the way for future research to develop conceptual models
across multiple organizations, industries and cultural contexts, and incorporate longitudinal
designs to assess the sustainability of the practice. This dissertation is among the first in
Portugal to examine the applicability of art therapy beyond clinical environments, extending
its use to workplace settings. The chosen company would also be the pioneer in the region
in implementing this type of practice.
Keywords: Art therapy, internal communication, mental health, employee well-being,
workplace challenges, interpersonal relationships, organizational challenges.
JEL-Codes: I1, I30, I31, D83, M10, J24, J28.
iii
, Resumo
O objetivo deste estudo é explorar o potencial da terapia pela arte como uma ferramenta
inovadora não clínica de saúde mental para melhorar a comunicação interna e o bem-estar
dos funcionários em contextos organizacionais. A dissertação pretende propor uma estrutura
prática para integrar a arteterapia nas práticas da empresa. O estudo implementou um
desenho de investigação qualitativa, seguido de um caso de intervenção-ação realizado numa
empresa portuguesa de média dimensão, que envolveu três workshops de terapia pela arte
com 20 funcionários. Os dados foram recolhidos através de entrevistas semiestruturadas com
os participantes, um líder de equipa da empresa e dois especialistas em terapia pela arte, e
analisados utilizando análise temática. Os resultados indicaram que os participantes
experimentaram melhorias na sua expressão pessoal e profissional. Os resultados sugerem
que a terapia pela arte, para além da sua utilização clínica tradicional, pode servir como uma
prática valiosa no âmbito de iniciativas no local de trabalho, contribuindo para um ambiente
organizacional mais comunicativo e saudável. Os resultados também mostram o potencial
da terapia pela arte na esfera organizacional, consolidando o caminho para pesquisas futuras
que desenvolvam modelos conceptuais em várias organizações, indústrias e contextos
culturais, e incorporem projetos longitudinais para avaliar a sustentabilidade da prática. Esta
dissertação está entre as primeiras em Portugal a examinar a aplicabilidade da terapia pela
arte além dos ambientes clínicos, estendendo a sua utilização aos ambientes de trabalho. A
empresa escolhida também seria pioneira na região na implementação deste tipo de prática.
Keywords: Terapia pela arte, comunicação interna, saúde mental, bem-estar dos
funcionários, desafios no local de trabalho, relações interpessoais, desafios organizacionais.
Códigos JEL: I1, I30, I31, D83, M10, J24, J28.
iv
Address Workplace Challenges: Enhancing Collaboration,
Employee Health, and Well-being in Organizational Settings
Juanita Gallego Tarazona
Dissertation
Master in Management
Supervised by
Carlos Cabral Cardoso
2024/2025
,Acknowledgements
I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to my closest support
network—my family and friends—for believing in me when I made the decision to pursue
my studies in Portugal, and for accompanying me on this journey of discovery, self-
recognition, and both personal and professional growth. It has undoubtedly been a path filled
with challenges, responsibilities, and invaluable lessons that I will always cherish.
I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Professor Carlos Cabral Cardoso, for his
valuable guidance, insightful input, and constant support throughout the development of this
dissertation.
I would also like to extend my thanks to the art therapists Maggi Colwell, Anne-Claire
Hoyaux, and Santiago Sánchez for their remarkable insights and their sensitivity toward the
field of mental health through an artistic perspective.
My sincere thanks go to the directors and colleagues at my workplace,
CrunchEquation, whose support and collaboration made the realization of the art therapy
workshops possible. Without their confidence in and approval of this initiative, its
implementation would not have been feasible.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the University of Porto, the Faculty of Economics,
and the professors who played a meaningful role in my academic path. I am especially
thankful to Helena Maia, who supported me from the very beginning with valuable advice,
and to Professor Luísa Helena Pinto, for her warmth, dedication, and encouragement.
ii
,Abstract
The aim of the study is to explore the potential of art therapy as a non-clinical innovative
mental health tool to improve internal communication and employee well-being in
organizational contexts. The dissertation intends to propose an actionable framework to
integrate art therapy into company practices. The study implemented a qualitative research
design, followed by a workplace intervention conducted in a Portuguese mid-sized
company which involved three art therapy workshops with 20 employees. Data was
collected through semi-structured interviews with participants, a company team leader and
two art therapists’ experts, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that
participants experienced improvements in their personal and professional expression. The
results suggest that art therapy, beyond its traditional clinical use, may serve as a valuable
practice within workplace initiatives, contributing to a more communicative and healthier
organizational environment. The results also show the potential of art therapy in the
organizational sphere, cementing the way for future research to develop conceptual models
across multiple organizations, industries and cultural contexts, and incorporate longitudinal
designs to assess the sustainability of the practice. This dissertation is among the first in
Portugal to examine the applicability of art therapy beyond clinical environments, extending
its use to workplace settings. The chosen company would also be the pioneer in the region
in implementing this type of practice.
Keywords: Art therapy, internal communication, mental health, employee well-being,
workplace challenges, interpersonal relationships, organizational challenges.
JEL-Codes: I1, I30, I31, D83, M10, J24, J28.
iii
, Resumo
O objetivo deste estudo é explorar o potencial da terapia pela arte como uma ferramenta
inovadora não clínica de saúde mental para melhorar a comunicação interna e o bem-estar
dos funcionários em contextos organizacionais. A dissertação pretende propor uma estrutura
prática para integrar a arteterapia nas práticas da empresa. O estudo implementou um
desenho de investigação qualitativa, seguido de um caso de intervenção-ação realizado numa
empresa portuguesa de média dimensão, que envolveu três workshops de terapia pela arte
com 20 funcionários. Os dados foram recolhidos através de entrevistas semiestruturadas com
os participantes, um líder de equipa da empresa e dois especialistas em terapia pela arte, e
analisados utilizando análise temática. Os resultados indicaram que os participantes
experimentaram melhorias na sua expressão pessoal e profissional. Os resultados sugerem
que a terapia pela arte, para além da sua utilização clínica tradicional, pode servir como uma
prática valiosa no âmbito de iniciativas no local de trabalho, contribuindo para um ambiente
organizacional mais comunicativo e saudável. Os resultados também mostram o potencial
da terapia pela arte na esfera organizacional, consolidando o caminho para pesquisas futuras
que desenvolvam modelos conceptuais em várias organizações, indústrias e contextos
culturais, e incorporem projetos longitudinais para avaliar a sustentabilidade da prática. Esta
dissertação está entre as primeiras em Portugal a examinar a aplicabilidade da terapia pela
arte além dos ambientes clínicos, estendendo a sua utilização aos ambientes de trabalho. A
empresa escolhida também seria pioneira na região na implementação deste tipo de prática.
Keywords: Terapia pela arte, comunicação interna, saúde mental, bem-estar dos
funcionários, desafios no local de trabalho, relações interpessoais, desafios organizacionais.
Códigos JEL: I1, I30, I31, D83, M10, J24, J28.
iv
