Ink Talks: Processing Compassion Fatigue through Culturally Relevant Arts-Making

Article Information

Creative Arts Educ Ther (2022) 8(2):158–172 DOI: 10.15212/CAET/2022/8/18

Ink Talks: Processing Compassion Fatigue through Culturally Relevant Arts-Making

Abstract

This paper explores the power of the arts and the spiritual support of one’s own culture in helping an immigrant arts therapist process professional compassion fatigue. Through autoethnographic narrative and arts-based inquiry, I intend to dive into the emotional distress arising from this immigrant therapist’s experience of compassion fatigue in a creative way. In this cultural and arts-based research journey, I immerse in my personal/professional experience through the arts-making process as an immigrant arts therapist to explore expression, transformation, and enlightenment as ways of processing compassion fatigue. Through this insightful personal journey, I argue that the importance of self-disclosure and self-exploration through culturally relevant creativity might enhance the wellbeing of the immigrant therapist. In addition, this study attempts to discuss the topic of therapists’ compassion fatigue through a decolonizing lens and with Eastern philosophical perspectives.

Keywords: culturally relevant, arts-based inquiry, immigrant therapist, compassion fatigue

摘要

本文探讨了艺术的力量和文化的精神支持在移民艺术治疗师遭遇同情疲劳时的作用。通过民族志个人叙事和艺术本位的探究，作者作为一名移民治疗师，让自己专注在来自同情疲劳经历中的情感困扰中。在这次艺术本位研究之旅中，作者以移民艺术治疗师的身份，沉浸在个人/专业经历的艺术创作过程中，研究同情疲劳的表达、转化和启蒙。通过富有洞察力的个人旅程，我探诉了通过具有文化相关的创造力进行自我表露和自我探索，以及其对于移民治疗师的健康的重要性。此外，本研究试图通过非殖民化的视野和东方哲学的角度来讨论治疗师的同情疲劳这一话题。

关键词: 文化相关, 艺术本位探究, 移民治疗师, 同情疲劳