Intercultural Art Therapy in South Africa: Shortcomings and Reflections of a Young White Afrikaner Therapist (Art-thérapie interculturelle en Afrique du Sud : lacunes et réflexions d'une jeune thérapeute afrikaner blanche)

Abstract

An autoethnographic approach critically analyzes personal experiences to aid understanding of cultural experiences. This written account shares the experiences of a young white Afrikaner art therapist within South Africa, a country that is culturally diverse and has a history of racial oppression. In this article, the author explores how multiple identities intersect and interact in an intercultural art therapy encounter by engaging in critical self-reflection and reflexive practices demonstrated in writing a mixture of autobiography and ethnography. This article emphasizes the importance of South Africa's historical and social contexts as well as sociocultural theories to help deepen and widen art therapists' lenses with which they see their clients and themselves.

Résumé

Une approche auto-ethnographique analyse de manière critique les expériences personnelles pour faciliter la compréhension des expériences culturelles. Ce récit écrit partage les expériences d'une jeune thérapeute afrikaner blanche en Afrique du Sud, un pays culturellement diversifié dont l’histoire est marquée par l’oppression raciale. Dans cet article, l'autrice explore la manière dont plusieurs identités s’entrecroisent et interagissent dans une rencontre d'art-thérapie interculturelle en s'engageant dans une auto-réflexion critique et des pratiques réflexives démontrées par l'écriture d'un mélange d'autobiographie et d'ethnographie. Cet article souligne l'importance des contextes historique et social de l'Afrique du Sud, ainsi que des théories socioculturelles, pour aider à approfondir et à élargir la perspective des art-thérapeutes, lunettes avec lesquelles ils voient leurs clients et eux-mêmes.

Notes

1 Afrikaans came into existence in the early demographic mix of the Cape when Dutch was the language of the colony (Reagan, 2019).

2 Learmonth and Gibson (2010) warn that an over-investment in any single aspect of linked individual, familial, social, and political processes may distort the therapist's thinking. I completely agree, although with these case examples I am aiming to specifically point out the value of sociocultural theory in framing and reflecting on an intercultural therapeutic relationship.

3 Many returning art therapists have struggled with the process of professional registration with the HPCSA (Solomon, 2006).

4 "Ag shame" is a term used in South Africa to convey pity or sympathy, similar to "you poor thing" or "I am sorry for you."

5 Throughout our sessions Nathan referred to me as "baba." This is an informal name used by Nathan for people he becomes familiar with. I found this name endearing but also a reference to my young age.