School
of Creative
Industries
Tan Yee Yi Andrew
Andrew Tan graduated with a BA Psychology from Edith Cowan University. He worked as an operation executive in multiple residential homes for individuals living with disabilities and while working, he took on a graduate certificate in therapeutic play and worked as a therapeutic play practitioner. Before entering the MA Art Therapy Programme, he was a programme executive working mostly with clients diagnosed with substance use disorder. He believes that art should be fun, yet enable individuals to relay unconscious messages on a conscious level. During his MA Art Therapy training, he worked with adults with substance use disorder in a welfare home and was able to integrate what he had learnt during his journey to help these individuals.
Work
Playfulness in Art
Mixed media and apron
89 x 27 cm
2020
Thesis abstract
Introduction of art therapy to Asian adults with addictive behaviours residing within a welfare home
This thesis seeks to explore the impact of providing art therapy services to an individual diagnosed with substance use disorder and is also legally destitute residing within a welfare home in Singapore. This thesis will be examining the impact through the lens of psychodynamic psychotherapy from a single case study, using qualitative practitioner-based research. The research has found that individual with substance use disorder is using substances as a coping mechanism to avoid overwhelming emotions, and art therapy has been used to treat substance use disorder recovery for many years. The study has revealed various impacts which influenced the outcome of each session. These outcomes resulted in client fulfilling the therapeutic goals set before the start of art therapy sessions. This study hopes to provide a fresh perspective on art therapy and substance use disorder recovery and also provide an alternative form of intervention to substance use disorder recovery within a Singapore context.