Professional Issues • 255Multicultural Issues
Just as art therapists monitor their preconceptions about those with disabilities, so too are
they attuned to their attitudes toward the different cultures from which their clients come.
Respect for the values and traditions of the other is the key to multicultural sensitivity,
including the culture’s aesthetic. Such considerations are essential when we serve clients
whose background is radically different from our own (DVD 11.4).
This issue has been of particular concern in the United States, because of the many peo-
ple of color who live and work here, who are sometimes referred for art therapy—and the
very small number of mental health professionals who come from the same cultural milieu.
Figure 11.8 A blindfolded girl compares two sculptures.
Figure 11.9 A partially sighted boy explores a sculpture.