Is Cultural Competence Enough? Deepening Social Justice Pedagogy in Art Therapy

Abstract

This viewpoint examines the limitations of cultural competency in art therapy education through personal reflection, calling for an immersive engagement with social justice practices of naming difference, asserting counter narratives, and following the leadership of people impacted by systemic violence. The author discusses the impact of state-funded attacks on African Americans and responses within the Black community that have shaped her pedagogical framework and emphasizes the need for a shift of power that would strengthen an art therapy approach to social justice and encourage critical consciousness among students.