ABSTRACT

Background

There is an absence of research on working with transracially adopted children in the UK. This suggests the need to provide insight into how art psychotherapy practice can be used to explore the transracially adopted child's lived experience of navigating their racial and adoptive identity. The theory of intersectionality highlights the importance of recognising marginalised categories of identity. Without such, these children may only integrate partial knowledge of themselves, which inevitably undermines their voice and ability to hold power in a racialised and oppressive socio-political system.

Aims

The study aimed to explore: how art therapists work with transracially adopted children to help them find a coherent sense of self; what therapists themselves consider the benefits and limitations of the art psychotherapy practice; intersectional thinking as a way to avoid examining identity differences in silos.

Methods

This study used semi-structured interviews to gather the views of four art psychotherapists. Thematic analysis was then used to analyse the data collected.

Results

Evolved as three themes: the containing role of art psychotherapists, primary caregivers and wider care system; a child-led approach; the challenge of integrating cultural humility into the art psychotherapy profession.

Conclusion

Findings highlighted a systemic approach to processing trauma, including the use of shared, joined-up and non-verbal language could be key in helping transracial adoptees explore their identity using culturally relevant approaches in art psychotherapy.

Implications for practice and future research

The researcher recommends that access to cultural humility training is formalised for art psychotherapists in order to establish anti-oppressive frameworks.

Plain-language summary

This article outlines a research project, which examined how art psychotherapy can be used to explore the identity of children and young people who have been adopted transracially. Within this context, it sought to gain a better understanding of how art psychotherapists currently use artmaking and creativity in the therapeutic relationship with these children. It is recognised that for a transracially adopted child's placement to be successful their sense of identity and belonging needs to be supported. In some areas of the UK, post-adoption support exists, which includes access to art psychotherapy.

For this research project, four qualified UK based art psychotherapists were interviewed in the hope of revealing what these participants considered to be the benefits and the limitations of art psychotherapy practice when working with this client group. Additionally, the researcher examined the art psychotherapists’ motivations for engaging in this specific subject area.

Participants were further asked if any personal challenges, such as their own racial background and/or unconscious biases arose when navigating a transracially adopted child's racial and adoptive identity. From the findings, the researcher provided recommendations that recognise the need for the formal integration of cultural humility for both trainee and qualified art psychotherapists.

This small study highlighted three themes: the containing role of art psychotherapists, primary caregivers and the wider care system; a child-led approach; and the challenge of integrating cultural humility into the art psychotherapy profession.

中文翻译：

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跨种族收养：艺术治疗师对促进儿童种族和收养身份的看法

摘要

背景

英国缺乏关于跨种族收养儿童工作的研究。这表明需要深入了解如何利用艺术心理治疗实践来探索跨种族收养儿童在种族和收养身份中的生活经历。交叉性理论强调了认识边缘化身份类别的重要性。如果没有这样的能力，这些孩子可能只能整合自己的部分知识，这不可避免地会削弱他们的声音和在种族化和压迫性的社会政治体系中掌握权力的能力。

目标

该研究旨在探索：艺术治疗师如何与跨种族收养的儿童合作，帮助他们找到连贯的自我意识；治疗师自己认为艺术心理治疗实践的好处和局限性是什么；交叉思维是避免检查孤岛中的身份差异的一种方式。

方法

这项研究采用半结构化访谈的方式收集了四位艺术心理治疗师的观点。然后使用主题分析来分析收集的数据。

结果

演变为三个主题：艺术心理治疗师的包容性作用、主要护理人员和更广泛的护理系统；以儿童为主导的方法；将文化谦逊融入艺术心理治疗专业的挑战。

结论

研究结果强调了处理创伤的系统方法，包括使用共享的、联合的和非语言的语言，可能是帮助跨种族被收养者在艺术心理治疗中使用文化相关方法探索他们的身份的关键。

对实践和未来研究的影响

研究人员建议艺术心理治疗师接受文化谦逊培训，以建立反压迫框架。

通俗易懂的语言总结

本文概述了一个研究项目，该项目探讨了如何利用艺术心理治疗来探索跨种族收养的儿童和青少年的身份。在此背景下，它试图更好地了解艺术心理治疗师目前如何在与这些儿童的治疗关系中使用艺术创作和创造力。人们认识到，跨种族收养儿童的安置要取得成功，他们的认同感和归属感需要得到支持。在英国的一些地区，存在收养后支持，其中包括获得艺术心理治疗。

在这个研究项目中，采访了四位合格的英国艺术心理治疗师，希望揭示这些参与者在与这个客户群体合作时认为艺术心理治疗实践的好处和局限性。此外，研究人员还研究了艺术心理治疗师参与这一特定学科领域的动机。

参与者被进一步询问在处理跨种族收养儿童的种族和收养身份时是否出现任何个人挑战，例如他们自己的种族背景和/或无意识偏见。根据研究结果，研究人员提出了建议，认识到实习生和合格的艺术心理治疗师需要正式融入文化谦逊。

这项小型研究强调了三个主题：艺术心理治疗师、主要护理人员和更广泛的护理系统的包容性作用；以儿童为主导的方法；以及将文化谦逊融入艺术心理治疗专业的挑战。