School of Creative
Industries
Yap Rae Yi
Since graduating from a Bachelor in Psychology (Hons), Yap Rae Yi furthered her clinical and research interests in caregiver wellness and pursued an MA in Art Therapy at LASALLE College of the Arts as part of her aim to facilitate the well-being of this group of individuals. Through various opportunities during her clinical placement, she conducted individual and group art therapy sessions with formal and informal caregivers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rae Yi adapted the practice of art therapy to an online space and experienced the many ways of connecting beyond the walls of virtuality. Her reflections of this transition were captured in the international, peer-reviewed art therapy journal ATOL: Art Therapy OnLine. She is a recipient of The Red Pencil Scholarship from 2019 to 2021.
Work
In memory of…
2 x 2 cm mirrors
Dimensions variable
2021
In memory of… is the product of a futile search for the existence of presence. Our tendencies to preserve memories of the past and plan for the future rob us of the present. The scattered display of squared pieces of mirror reflects a distorted, pixelated view that is akin to the natural process of memory decay. In memory of… provides us with a space to practise and remind ourselves to put away our pasts and our understanding of them, and simply observe what is in front of us.
Thesis abstract
Exploring the potential of online group art therapy with mothers of young adults with Down syndrome in a home environment
The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges and opportunities to the practice of art therapy. This thesis responded to the opportunities surfaced by the pandemic and explored the practice of group art therapy with mothers of young adults with Down syndrome on an online platform. This practitioner-based research study involved a group of three mothers who engaged in online group art therapy sessions conducted by the author over a course of nine weeks. The findings, which were gathered from adopting a phenomenological approach, presented the therapeutic benefits of group art therapy with this group of mothers in this particular stage of their caregiving journeys, which involved the processes of revisiting unresolved issues, expressing their true selves, and making meaning of challenges in life. The virtuality of online group art therapy informed about the desires of the mothers to socially connect and be seen. The art therapy processes experienced in their respective home environments allowed the mothers to rekindle with their home environments and further enhance their sense of control in their homes. The thesis discussed issues regarding establishing therapeutic gaze and providing physical containment in an online space and provided recommendations related to ethics for practising in such a modality.