ABSTRACT
Bartering occurs primarily in rural settings in the West Indies. Historically, locals feel a sense of pride when they can give fruits and vegetables grown from their gardens in exchange for services rendered. In the West Indies, one’s sense of personal space is much more limited than it is in the States. After having been introduced, whenever people meet, they hug. Culturally, Christianity is interwoven into both formal and informal gatherings in the West Indies. With limited resources available for mental health services and limited space available in which to facilitate the art therapy process—but great needs—cultural expectation often posed an ethical dilemma. School counsellors and counselling clinics were being introduced and West Indians were realizing that they needed a different type of assistance than a relative or a religious leader could provide. On the island, spiritual interventions remained the first point of assistance for any kind of mental health issue.
