ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at what India and the West can learn from each other in the field of hospice and palliative care. It describes the hospice where this work took place and presents a brief overview of the landscape of palliative care in India. The chapter examines the role of art in Indian culture in contrast to the West, with a focus on Rishikesh. A huge amount of the art therapy in palliative care literature focuses on affirming the benefits and the efficacy of art therapy. Literature that addresses working cross-culturally in art therapy often highlights the importance of recognising how deeply the profession is embedded within Western perspective. The art therapy group in the hospice in Rishikesh was made up of five women and one man, both patients and bereaved members who lived in rural areas of the community. Most had come as they felt isolated and wanted a space to share their losses with others experiencing the same.
