Abstract
Mental health stigma is one of the main reasons why individuals do not seek mental health treatment, and it can lead to discrimination and alienation. Group art therapy is a successful and economical intervention option to address mental health stigma, specifically in rural areas like Phuthaditjhaba in South Africa. This research dissertation refers to a research study where a short-duration art therapy intervention was implemented with female students in Phuthaditjhaba, a densely populated and isolated rural area in South Africa. The study used a reflective action research cycle and found that a group art therapy intervention informs the group members about mental health stigma, its repercussions, how to prevent it, and how to heal from experienced stigma. Traditional healing objects and traditions were included in the intervention, making it an inclusive and less threatening option for various cultures. A group art therapy intervention model is presented as a possible process guide for art therapists who would like to address mental health stigma in group therapy. The participants have experienced mental health stigma in Phuthaditjhaba. Their visual stories of change capture the internal changes that took place for them due to the intervention. They are now more aware of what stigma is, its repercussions, how to prevent it, and how to heal from experienced stigma. Group art therapy is a suitable therapeutic paradigm for addressing mental health stigma in rural areas of South Africa.