Art Therapists Within Borders: Grappling With the Collective "We" of Identity

Exploring the Variant Experiences Through Which Racial/Ethnic Minorities Select Art Therapy as a Career

“…Feuling this study is the challenge of identifying the characteristics of minority individuals who may be interested in an artist-therapist helping profession. The potential similarities and differences, if any, of racial/ethnic minority art therapists within the profession (Awais & Yali, 2013;Boston, 2005;Doby-Copeland, 2006;Lumpkin, 2006;Talwar et al, 2004;Tavani, 2007), particularly related to combinations of altruism and connections to creativity, symbolic expression, and art making (Brown, 2008;Kapitan, 2010;Lumpkin, 2006;McNiff, 2000) should be described to understand how individuals track into the art therapy profession. There is a lack of research of and related to racial/ethnic minority art therapists.…”

“…Art therapists, based on the conceptual literature, collectively believe that "art heals" (Awais & Yali, 2013;Boston, 2005;Doby-Copeland, 2006;Feen-Calligan, 1996Gussak, 2008;Junge, 2014;Kapitan, 2004Kapitan, , 2009Kapitan, , 2010Kapitan, , 2014Levick, 1995;Lumpkin, 2006;Malchiodi, 1993Malchiodi, , 1996Malchiodi, , 1999McNiff, 1998McNiff, , 2000McNiff, , 2005McNiff, , 2009Moon, B., 2003Moon, B., , 2006Moon, C., , 2002Riley, 2000;Talwar et al, 2004;Teasdale, 1993;Wadeson, 2003Wadeson, , 2004Wix, 2000). Art therapy has demonstrated efficacy with varied populations (treating: ADHD, depression, anxiety, PTSD, TBI, and more, etc.)…”

“…This study proposed a phenomenological research approach to describe and classify the phenomena and characteristics of racial/ethnic minority art therapist professional identity. This study was intentionally pre-empirical and was designed based on a review of the literature, which includes mostly conceptual discussions (Awais & Yali, 2013;Doby-Copeland, 2006;Feen-Calligan, 1996;Gussak, 2008;Junge, 2014, Kapitan, 2010Levick, 1995;Lumpkin, 2006;Malchiodi, 1993;McNiff, 2009;Moon, B., 2003;Riley, 2000;Talwar et al, 2004;Teasdale, 1993;Wadeson, 2004;), several empirical attempts to describe characteristics of art therapist professional identity (DuBeau, 1993;King, 2011;Oppegard et al, 2005;Orkibi, 2010Orkibi, , 2012;…”

“…Racial/ethnic minority art therapists further explained through their experiences that art communicates (60%) which contributed to beliefs that art could help others and that they could help others through art (40%). One valued belief of art therapists noted in research is the power of art as healing (DuBeau, 1993;King, 2011;Malis, 2014;Oppegard et al, 2005;Perdue, 2016;Roberts, 2017) and throughout art therapy history in the conceptual literature (Awais & Yali, 2013;Boston, 2005;Doby-Copeland, 2006;Feen-Calligan, 1996Gussak, 2008;Junge, 2014;Kapitan, 2004Kapitan, , 2009Kapitan, , 2010Kapitan, , 2014Levick, 1995;Lumpkin, 2006;Malchiodi, 1993Malchiodi, , 1996Malchiodi, , 1999McNiff, 1998McNiff, , 2000McNiff, , 2005McNiff, , 2009Moon, B., 2003Moon, B., , 2006Moon, C., , 2002Riley, 2000;Talwar et al, 2004;Teasdale, 1993;Wadeson, 2003Wadeson, , 2004Wix, 2000).…”

Professional Identity Perceptions of Dual-Prepared Art Therapy Graduates

“…Furthermore, a strong sense of professional identity is essential for interprofessional collaboration (Mellin, Hunt, & Nichols, 2011). Among art therapists, professional identity may contribute to individuals' commitment to the profession and to their careers (Kapitan, 2010a;Orkibi, 2010), and to group affiliations (Kapitan, 2010b).…”