ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the use of visual methodologies in doing post-disaster social work in Nepal by a young school of social work. It provides practical perspectives on the use of visual art and theatre in social work from a Nepalese social work perspective. The chapter focuses on how the arts can contribute to disaster work lead by Nepalese Social Workers living in the shared reality of the disaster. Arts are useful in developing resilience, meaning-making, and problem solving. The arts are effective in addressing trauma situations that are often encoded in images rather than in words. The arts are cited as recreating a connection between cognition, emotion, and the senses that encourages 'flow' and that helps to redefine disturbing memory-images through verbalizing about them, and thus, transforming their impact. The arts also helped to expand upon the roles of social workers as creative and flexible and provide social cohesion and direction in concrete ways in times of crisis.
