Anandi Mehra

The aim of this qualitative, practitioner-based thesis was to examine ways in which art therapy can be adapted to home-based settings for children diagnosed with rare disorders.

A rare disorder, often long-term and sometimes life threatening, has numerous impacts on a child’s quality of life. The limited understanding of a rare disease, its symptoms and prognosis, repetitive procedures with intrusive medical interventions, lack of policies, structural support and financial pressures can result in psychological distress, disruption in everyday life and social isolation for the child, extending to the family.

Using a multiple case vignette, this study demonstrates the process of curation through intentional strategies of individual, dyad and family sessions, and adaptation of services based on the circumstances.

The findings reaffirmed that the therapeutic space was uniquely recreated within each domestic setting in all sessions. This was a key factor determining the creative adjustments of home-based care for children diagnosed with rare disorders. The care provided was tailored to ethical and cultural aspects in the context of Singapore.

Daily Rhythms is a textile artwork that explores the body’s relationship to health and the many facets that shape our being. The work considers the connection between the internal self and external influences through the use of shape and colour. Abstract forms created from naturally dyed fabrics become motifs that represent the entanglements of a person’s life. Process is integral to both art therapy and my artistic practice, which centres on the meditative aspects of making through repetition, pattern, and the use of symbolic shapes and forms