ABOUT
Introduction
With the rise of social-media, boundaries between personal and professional life are increasingly blurred (DeCamp, Koenig, & Chisolm, 2013). As arts therapists whose code of ethics is informed by principles of confidentiality, integrity and professionalism (ANZATA, 2015), navigating public and private worlds becomes increasingly challenging. Compounding this, as an emerging arts therapist living in a community-oriented regional town in NSW, Australia, complexity arises with consideration of my dual roles – as an artist and art therapist (along with countless other roles such as activist, yoga teacher, friend, and the like). As I establish myself in the community, these multiple identities collide with increased frequency in various supermarkets, co-ops, yoga classes and train platforms.
Whilst some of my personal concerns stem from living in a small town where I find anonymity near impossible, this study explores the creation of online identity to examine considerations for crafting identity – with implications for face-to-face and online spaces. As such, this autoethnographic study considers the following questions:
What ethical considerations arise from the process of creating an art therapist’s online identity?
​​
In what ways are the values and ethics of the art therapy profession expressed and managed through an art therapist’s identity?
​​
As an artist and art therapist, what risks arise from the creation of an online identity and in what ways can the process of creating an online identity help to reconcile the dual identity of artist and therapist?
​​
With new technologies come new opportunities to establish art therapy as a prominent form of therapy through professional online representation allowing ease of access for clients. However, as a trainee art therapist with a background in technology, I was perplexed by the slack rate of adoption and in some cases resistance to online technologies such as websites – an untapped resource that potentially impacts professional perceptions, with the lack of visibility impacting accessibility. For instance, only 36.7% of Sydney art therapists listed on ANZATA’s find-a-therapist directory include a website (ANZATA, 2017). Similarly, a breathwork practitioner claims first place for ‘art therapy Sydney’ on the Natural Therapy directory (www.naturaltherapypages.com.au, 2017), where notably, there are no registered Art Therapists listed on the first page of the results.
Through the creation of my own public profile, this study provides insights into considerations and best-practices for crafting an art therapist’s online identity. With this in mind, this study was envisioned to explore the challenges facing an emerging art therapist with implications for both online and offline, personal and professional identity management, informed by psychosocial Eriksonian understandings of identity formation and identity conflict (Erikson, 1970; Marcia & Josselson, 2013).
​
You can find out more about this topic at the Expert's Corner where you'll find the literature review.