Cross-cultural art therapy in the virtual realm: reimagining cultural proficiency in Kenya

ABSTRACT Background This article describes a remote psychosocial art therapy group for educators in Kenya, led by a Barbadian and an American art therapist, and explores cross-cultural considerations. Context Intervention took place in Kibera, Kenya, an economically disadvantaged urban area, in 2020–2021. Group participants explored experiences of trauma and loss, as illustrated in art therapy case examples, and psychoeducation was provided on arts-based, trauma-informed interventions for children. Approach Group goals were developed in conjunction with the hosting Kenyan NGOs. Outcomes Ongoing adaptations and flexibility were needed due to cross-cultural challenges and the group’s remote status. The art therapists strove to ground themselves in a reflexive, self-aware stance. Conclusions Despite the group’s remote status and varied cultural dilemmas, flexibility and the centring of participant voices promoted group cohesion. Art-making and the group container enabled the expression of shared trauma, loss, faith, and resilience. Group members introduced their own arts traditions into the group, building resilience and taking leadership. Implications for research Cross-cultural art therapy interventions hold promise if group participants are given the space to lead and set their own goals. Future studies should continue to identify challenges that arise in cross-cultural art therapy settings while also examining the long-term effects and efficacy of these interventions. Plain-language summary This article describes a remote art therapy project led in Kenya by a Barbadian and an American art therapist. It was hosted by two Kenyan NGOs, and was implemented by the Red Pencil, an international humanitarian organisation. Through the lens of this experience, the authors explore cross-cultural, remote art therapy practice, and its essential grounding in cultural competence, cultural humility, and the consideration of cross-cultural power dynamics. They share their experiences of implementing a remote art therapy group in Kibera, Kenya, a disadvantaged urban area, with Kenyan educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, and describe their aims to provide psychosocial support while maintaining an ethically informed, collaborative stance that centred participant voices. Flexibility and creativity were paramount to combat technical difficulties and limitations of the virtual space. Group cohesion and safety were fostered as participants adaptively initiated practices of healing and socialisation that were rooted in their own cultural traditions. Art therapy assisted in promoting expression and solidarity, as illustrated in case examples, for group members facing trauma, loss, and strains of the pandemic. Recommended future research includes the ongoing identification of challenges that arise in cross-cultural art therapy settings, and the examination of the long-term effects and efficacy of these interventions.