Metapoiesis: integrating the principles of salutogenesis in art therapy within a cancer rehabilitation facility in Singapore
Poiesis has its etymological roots in Greek, is defined as the act of making; bringing something that was non-existent into being. Meta, a prefix from Greek, means 1) after, beyond, 2) change and 3) transcending. In this thesis, metapoiesis is defined as the emergence of human transcendence that the artist-cancer survivor endeavours as s(he) transforms the chaos of cancer to post-traumatic growth—an artistic and creative reproduction or rebirth of his or her post-cancer identity. Through a practitioner-based single case study extracted from a group art therapy context, this thesis seeks to resolve the research inquiry by drawing on the arts to examine the therapeutic values of integrating the principles of sense of coherence, the central concept of salutogenesis, within a cancer survivorship setting in the hope to create meaningful links between art therapy and positive psychology. This thesis departs from the traditional biomedical model that focuses on the pathological causes of the diseased state (pathogenesis) to a contemporary medical one that is concerned with the relationship between health, stress and coping, focusing on what supports human health (salutogenesis) which becomes a relevant framework within this clinical population. A discussion of the clinical findings corralled is reviewed, followed by an examination of the benefits and limitations of integrating the immunological triad within the short-term art therapy intervention to determine the usefulness of this therapeutic shift not because it cures the disease, but it nurtures the growth of salutogenic (health-promoting) resources which provide support and immunity against the collapse of self as cancer survivors cope with the chronic hardship of what the illness entails to build a sense of self that is ever higher.