Borders and Boundaries in Virtual Art Therapy

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility, which help art therapists navigate the diverse cultural landscapes of the client–art therapist relationship in the new global world of virtual art therapy. Cultural competence refers to the knowledge that has been acquired through one’s life experiences and training and that informs people’s social behaviours. Cultural humility, in contrast, is a critical reflection regarding personal and systemic biases, and entails a respectful approach to relationships based on mutuality. Using excerpts from a November 2020 interview with Girija Kaimal, research by the Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy, and case vignettes, this chapter argues that art making and creativity, the core of our work as art therapists, are key resources to help us navigate these cultural divisions and build relationships in a therapeutic context that spans boundaries and crosses borders. The practice of making art compliments the curiosity, openness, and exploration valued in these concepts of cultural humility and competence in a way that spoken language alone does not. Art interventions discussed in this chapter are based on videoconferencing sessions with art therapy clients.