Discussion 9: In what parts of the world will you find art therapy?

Sample 1：

I think a place that might not commonly practice art therapy might be countries that are poverty ridden such as Haiti. I think a benefit of introducing art therapy in this country would be to possibly boost the economy, help the people deal with being in poverty, help people deal with natural disasters (such as earthquakes), and to help people envision a better future for themselves and for their families. Despite these great reasons to introduce art therapy in Haiti, I think it might be difficult to really get art therapy going in this specific country. I think this because the economy is so low there that it would possibly be difficult to find the money and resources to do so, but even if it is not, it might also not be something that people welcome or culturally accept. As with anything, it is difficult to bring something new into people's minds, sometimes it takes generations so it could be difficult to change people's minds if they are already set. I do think it would be a great place for art therapy, but I also think there are some difficulties to go down this road.

Sample 2:

A part of the world where art therapy might not be commonly practiced is in third world countries. An example is Afghanistan, a nation known to be in central Asia. Art therapy could benefit in a third world country such as Afghanistan because it could help children, adults, and families express their feelings of hard times, unfairness, trauma and any emotion they are going through. There could also be challenges because of money, poverty, and change. It would be an adjustment to having an art therapist at a school or in a hospital because it is unknown and unfamiliar.

Reply: I agree completely with you. Countries with violence and war as an every day norm could really benefit from art therapy however, it is probably not an option that they have available and changing that would be incredibly difficult, if their religions would even allow them to accept that form of guidance. I am not sure how that all works, but I am sure in some extreme situations it would not be accepted/appropriate.

Sample 3:

A place where art therapy might not be commonly practiced around the world would be Nigeria. Nigeria is only the top 5 countries with the highest poverty rate. Typically therapy of any kind is costly, and while I am sure there are some people who like to contribute and volunteer their time to a good cause it would still not be enough in an area like this to make it common practice.

Countries with low poverty rates are also not known for their school systems and most children never attend school and those who do receive the bare minimum education. This does not allow them to go onto college and to study for careers where they could populate the country with art therapists. I also think that countries with a highly religious population might be hard to break into as an art therapist. It is sad to think about this because everyone can benefit from art therapy and to think that it could potentially not even be an option in some places around the world is saddening.

Reply：Hi Leann! I also posted about a country with high poverty rates. I didn't really think of the educational background effecting art therapy being brought to these locations, thanks for the great point! I had the viewpoint of art therapists from other countries going to the poverty ridden countries and "setting up" there, but your reasoning could be a huge factor in why art therapy is not established there! Also, I added that it might not be culturally accepted in certain countries, which is like religion being in the way of art therapy prospering!

Sample 4:

I think a part of the world that art therapy may not be as commonly practiced would be The Democratic Republic of Congo. This could be due to the fact that the country's GNI per capita is just $870, compared to the United State's $60,200. The Democratic Republic of Congo is clearly a country living in extreme poverty and introducing art therapy would definitely have some benefits and challenges. One major benefit would be the fact that it could help the people dealing with the effects of living in extreme poverty. It could help them express themselves in a way they would otherwise not be able to. The Congo is also a country that has a history of trauma and violence, so art therapy could possibly help the elders who have dealt with this past trauma. It may be challenging to introduce art therapy to this country due to the unfamiliarity and lack of resources.

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