Abstract
This research study mapped the structure and dynamics of the palliative care unit at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. It explored the optimal positioning of art therapists in the palliative care system. My heuristic inquiry included autoethnographic reflections on observations while embedded in the system during a year of placement work. Conversations and interviews with multidisciplinary team members and other art therapists supplemented it. The different visual methods for mapping the system were valuable in that the map could be simplified for a more generic appreciation of the palliative care system. There exists no single leverage point for the art therapist. The client type, stage of illness and treatment plan or task determine the optimal placement of the art therapist. The main contribution of the art therapist lies in the ability to work client-focused and the creative approach to meet the client’s changing needs. Key themes that emerged included: thinking and working systemically, the strength of the multidisciplinary team, the creativity and flexibility of the art therapist’s approach, the contributions to legacy work and bereavement work with loved ones and the importance of including palliative care work in general practice. The research gave me a new appreciation of art therapy and its wide application and redirected my future work to include and focus on palliative care. The study results will contribute to palliative care, art therapy and art-based methods.