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.

中文翻译：

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肤色如何影响艺术心理治疗中的治疗关系？

摘要

最近的一场地震性转变将种族和特权问题带入了集体意识，即全球大流行和 2020 年的“黑人生命也是命”抗议活动。本文探讨了在艺术治疗室中不解决权力和白人特权问题的后果。本文采用交叉自我反思的方法，介绍了我作为一名在多元文化市中心学校工作的见习艺术心理治疗师的经验，并主张在艺术治疗实践中优先解决权力和白人特权问题。通过临床小插曲，我反思了自己与白人特权的关系，并考虑这可能会如何破坏治疗关系的形成。我的经验与许多相关文献一致，为了更好地理解并可能消除艺术治疗中权力和白人特权的破坏性事件，必须对这一领域进行更多的工作和关注。这包括当前的文献以及通过纳入服务用户的声音的未来研究来发展我们的知识。建议进行交叉性和社会正义方面的培训，以支持该行业直面白人特权的存在。此外，必须创造一个富有同情心的空间来反思白人的特权和脆弱性，因此反对主流叙事和教育特权阶层的工作不仅仅落在那些被边缘化和受压迫的人身上。这包括当前的文献以及通过纳入服务用户的声音的未来研究来发展我们的知识。建议进行交叉性和社会正义方面的培训，以支持该行业直面白人特权的存在。此外，必须创造一个富有同情心的空间来反思白人的特权和脆弱性，因此反对主流叙事和教育特权阶层的工作不仅仅落在那些被边缘化和受压迫的人身上。这包括当前的文献以及通过纳入服务用户的声音的未来研究来发展我们的知识。建议进行交叉性和社会正义方面的培训，以支持该行业直面白人特权的存在。此外，必须创造一个富有同情心的空间来反思白人的特权和脆弱性，因此反对主流叙事和教育特权阶层的工作不仅仅落在那些被边缘化和受压迫的人身上。

通俗易懂的语言总结

通过全球大流行和 2020 年的“黑人生命也是命”抗议活动，种族和特权问题已进入集体意识。本文探讨了治疗室中不解决权力和白人特权问题的影响，并主张权力和特权来自白人的身份被视为艺术治疗实践中的优先事项。为此，我用自己的经历和相关文献来展示我的个人旅程。借鉴我在市中心学校工作的经验，我审视了自己与白人的关系，并考虑这可能会如何破坏治疗关系的形成。

我同意许多相关文献的观点，即为了更好地理解并可能消除艺术治疗中权力和白人特权的破坏性事件，必须对这一领域进行更多的工作和关注。这包括当前的文献以及通过纳入服务用户的声音的未来研究来发展我们的知识。为了支持该行业正视白人特权的存在，我建议进行培训，了解更广泛的系统如何影响个人各种不同且交叉的劣势和压迫经历，以及这对该个人的影响。此外，必须创造一个富有同情心的空间来反思白人的特权和脆弱性，因此反对主流叙事和教育特权阶层的工作不仅仅落在那些被边缘化和受压迫的人身上。