ABSTRACT
Personal development groups offer a unique opportunity to develop how creative arts therapists understand issues of identity, gender, race, power, privilege, ableism, and sexuality. The author contends that it is imperative that creative arts therapists examine all aspects of their identity in therapy, and that the personal development group within therapy training is a key place where these issues can be addressed. We all live in a society in which we are positioned in a systemic context of culture, history, and oppression. The author shows how addressing issues of intersectionality and factors of socio-political context and social justice can often be met with resistance but provides a rich ground for personal and professional growth. The author warns of the danger that such groups can avoid the issues of difference and replicate societal norms that cause harm. The role of the arts here is considered fundamental in enabling the addressing of stigma, shame, and prejudice in therapists, would-be therapists, and in the communities they serve. As a black therapist, my mere presence brings race and themes of diversity to the foreground of thinking for the group. The re-emergence of issues about the misuse of power and privilege arising from events such as Grenfell, Black Lives Matter, and COVID-19 forcibly reminds us as a profession of the need to engage with themes of social justice that are directly encountered by our trainees, our clients, and ourselves. Power relations are woven throughout the fabric of society, particularly within the educational, mental health, and political systems. As a Group Analyst, I hold the individual’s personal lived experience (their internal psychic world) and the social-political context as being interconnected and of equal importance. Art therapy has the potential to enhance the process of truly recognising ourselves and the world we live in, opening new ways of communication and social learning. This chapter explores some of the change processes that can take place in these group settings to address issues arising from intersectional identities and the power relations that are prevalent throughout society.
