How does skin colour affect the therapeutic relationship in art psychotherapy?

Abstract

ABSTRACT A recent seismic shift has brought issues of race and privilege into the collective consciousness, namely the global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. This article looks at the consequences of not addressing power and White privilege in the art therapy room. Adopting an intersectional self-reflexive approach, this article presents my experience as a trainee art psychotherapist working in multicultural inner-city schools and argues for the prioritisation of addressing power and White privilege within art therapy practice. Using clinical vignettes I reflect on my own relationship with White privilege and consider how this might disrupt the formation of a therapeutic relationship. My experience aligned with much of the relevant literature, that to better understand and possibly dismantle damaging occurrences of power and White privilege in art therapy, more work and attention must be paid to this area. This includes current literature as well as developing our knowledge through future research that incorporates the voices of service users. Training in intersectionality and social justice are recommended to support the profession with facing up to the existence of White privilege. In addition, a compassionate space must be created to reflect on White privilege and fragility, so the work of countering the dominant narrative and educating the privileged does not fall only to those who have been marginalised and oppressed. Plain-language summary Issues of race and privilege have been brought into the collective consciousness through the global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. This paper looks at the effect of not addressing power and White privilege in the therapy room and argues for the power and privilege that comes from being White to be reflected on as a priority in art therapy practice. To do this I have used my own experience to present my personal journey alongside relevant literature. Drawing on experience from my work in inner-city schools I examine my own relationship with being White and consider how this might disrupt the formation of a therapeutic relationship. I agree with much of the relevant literature, that to better understand and possibly dismantle damaging occurrences of power and White privilege in art therapy, more work and attention must be paid to this area. This includes current literature as well as developing our knowledge through future research that incorporates the voices of service users. To support the profession with facing up to the existence of White privilege I recommend training in how wider systems affect an individual’s varied and intersecting experiences of disadvantage and oppression, and the effect this has on that individual. In addition, a compassionate space must be created to reflect on White privilege and fragility, so the work of countering the dominant narrative and educating the privileged does not fall only to those who have been marginalised and oppressed.