Alex C. Koen

Art psychotherapy acculturation: an arts-based enquiry into a male South African candidate’s emerging professional therapist identity within Singapore

As a South African born male second-year postgraduate art psychotherapy candidate, I found myself interested in reviewing my clinical competencies and service delivery when considering my acculturation within Singapore. This, in turn, led me to address my research question: in what ways might acculturation impact culturally aware competencies of a male art psychotherapist candidate? Through a qualitative arts-based autoethnographic approach I unpack acculturation, culture and culturally aware clinical competencies, through a reflexive arts practice and thematic analysis based within the multicultural milieu of Singapore, in Southeast Asia. This yields a greater understanding of ethical and culturally aware competencies, relevant to my emerging art psychotherapist identity, and provides me with a greater understanding of the importance of nature, my art expression, clinical skills and identity development process, and the importance of the therapeutic relationship. Findings further suggest and shed light on recommendations such as the importance of a self-reflexive arts practice, the receptivity to art media and cultural exploration and continuous education requirements for culturally aware and ethical clinical practice. Furthermore, additional areas of research were identified, and a call to action was made for the inclusion of culturally diverse representation within acculturation research to art psychotherapy within the Eastern and African regions.