Art therapy, Ubuntu, and multidisciplinary collaboration in South Africa: ‘We are because I am’
Main Article Content
Keywords
Ubuntu-informed, art therapy, multidisciplinary teams, collaborative, culturally-responsive
Abstract
This conceptual paper examines the intersections between art therapy, multidisciplinary team (MDT) practice, and the African philosophy of Ubuntu in the South African context. Ubuntu, expressed through the maxim “I am because we are”, represents an ethic of interdependence and shared humanity that has influenced health, education, and community development across the continent. Drawing on historical and contemporary scholarship, the paper positions Ubuntu as both a philosophical foundation and a practical framework for culturally grounded care. It explores how Ubuntu deepens art therapy’s relational and community dimensions and reshapes MDT collaboration by promoting dignity, empathy, and shared accountability. By synthesising South African and international perspectives, this paper offers new insights into how Ubuntu can inform decolonised and socially responsive art therapy practice while enhancing the collaborative ethos of multidisciplinary care.
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References
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Chigangaidze, R. K. (2022). Utilising Ubuntu in social work practice: Ubuntu in the eyes of the multimodal approach. Journal of Social Work Practice, 36(3), 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2021.1981276
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Chilisa, B. (2012). Indigenous research methodologies. Sage Publications.
Engelbrecht, C., & Kasiram, M. I. (2012). The role of Ubuntu in families living with mental illness in the community. South African Family Practice, 54(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/20786204.2012.10874268
Ewuoso, C., & Hall, S. (2019). Core aspects of Ubuntu: A systematic review. South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, 12(2), 93–103. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJBL.2019.v12i2.679
Fouché, A., & Walker-Williams, H. J. (2016). A group intervention programme for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Social Work, 52(4), 525–545. https://doi.org/10.15270/52-4-529
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Goldstein Nolan, E., & Mumpton, J. (2024). Community art therapy: A working definition and practice approaches. Art Therapy, 41(4), 176–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2023.2280552
Gylseth, S. I. (2008). Psychology and Ubuntu: Therapeutic meetings in a South African context. University of Oslo (master’s).
Hanks, T. L. (2008). The Ubuntu paradigm: Psychology’s next force? Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 48(1), 116–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167807303004
Jones, A. (2006). Multidisciplinary team working: Collaboration and conflict. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 15(1), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2006.00400.x
Kapitan, A., & Kapitan, L. (2023). Language is power: Anti-oppressive, conscious language in art therapy practice. International Journal of Art Therapy, 28(1–2), 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2022.2112721
Kapitan, L. (2015). Social action in practice: Shifting the ethnocentric lens in cross-cultural art therapy encounters. Art Therapy, 32(3), 104–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2015.1060403
Kapitan, L., Litell, M., & Torres, A. (2011). Creative art therapy in a community’s participatory research and social transformation. Art Therapy, 28(2), 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2011.578238
Lee, J., Bifano, S. M., Bombacie, M. J., Lakhaney, D., Steinberg, D. M., Gangopadhyay, M., & Gold, M. A. (2023). The development of a multidisciplinary support network to support hospitalized pediatric patients, their families, and hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical Acupuncture, 35(4), 180–185. https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2023.0011
Letseka, M. (2012). In defence of Ubuntu. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 31(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-011-9267-2
Lutz, D. W. (2009). African Ubuntu philosophy and global management. Journal of Business Ethics, 84(Suppl. 3), 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0204-z
Matahela, V. E. (2025). Creativity in health sciences education: A humanising approach. In Instructional approaches for health professions education (pp. 35–66). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-4334-0.ch002
Metz, T. (2011). Ubuntu as a moral theory and human rights in South Africa. African Human Rights Law Journal, 11(2), 532–559.
Metz, T., & Gaie, J. B. (2010). The African ethic of Ubuntu/Botho: Implications for research on morality. Journal of Moral Education, 39(3), 273–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2010.497609
Meyer, M., & Balfour, R. (2020). Old symbols for new journeys: Re-imagining transdisciplinary collaboration for learning and transformative practice in education. Africa Education Review, 17(1), 141–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2018.1486686
Miller, C. (2015). Strengthening the arts therapist identity in multidisciplinary settings. In Arts therapists in multidisciplinary settings: Working together for better outcomes (p. 23). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Mpofu, E., Myambo, K., Mogaji, A. A., Mashego, T. A., & Khaleefa, O. H. (2006). African perspectives on creativity. In The international handbook of creativity (pp. 456–489). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511818240.016
Mueller, J., Alie, C., Jonas, B., Brown, E., & Sherr, L. (2011). A quasi-experimental evaluation of a community-based art therapy intervention exploring the psychosocial health of children affected by HIV in South Africa. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 16(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02682.x
Ngondo, P. S., & Klyueva, A. (2022). Toward an Ubuntu-centered approach to health communication theory and practice. Review of Communication, 22(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2021.2024871
Ngubane, N., & Makua, M. (2021). Ubuntu pedagogy – Transforming educational practices in South Africa through an African philosophy: From theory to practice. Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.4102/ink.v13i1.9
Nicolaides, A. (2023). Considering the philosophy of Ubuntu in South African healthcare ethical practices. The Journal of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology of South Africa, 5(1), 71–76. https://doi.org/10.36303/JMLSTSA.133
Nolan, E. G. (2023). Community art therapy: Theory and practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003193289-2
Oborn, E., & Dawson, S. (2010). Knowledge and practice in multidisciplinary teams: Struggle, accommodation and privilege. Human Relations, 63(12), 1835–1857. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726710371237
Ottemiller, D. D., & Awais, Y. J. (2016). A model for art therapists in community-based practice. Art Therapy, 33(3), 144–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2016.1199245
Powell, S. M., & Hohenhaus, S. M. (2006). Multidisciplinary team training and the art of communication. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 7(4), 238–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpem.2006.08.007
Qangule, L. S. (2019). An investigation of the experiences of psychotherapists regarding Ubuntu in their psychotherapy practice: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Rhodes University (doctorate).
Ramose, M. B. (1999). African philosophy through Ubuntu. Mond Books.
Raymond, A., Lania, A. Z., Desombiaux-Sigley, A., Talmage, A., Treefoot, A., Mulholland, L. M., & Van Bueren, T. L. (2015). Arts therapists in multidisciplinary settings: Working together for better outcomes. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Schoeman, M. (2016). The African concept of Ubuntu and restorative justice. In Reconstructing restorative justice philosophy (pp. 291–310). Routledge.
Smith, K. (2015). Understanding leading a multidisciplinary team. Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association, 45, 85–94.
Solomon, G. (2006). Development of art therapy in South Africa: Dominant narratives and marginalized stories. Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal, 19(1), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/08322473.2006.11432281
Udah, H., Tusasiirwe, S., Mugumbate, R., & Gatwiri, K. (2025). Ubuntu philosophy, values, and principles: An opportunity to do social work differently. Journal of Social Work. [Advance online publication]. https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173241312749
Van Dyk, G. A. J., & Nefale, M. C. (2005). The split-ego experience of Africans: Ubuntu therapy as a healing alternative. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 15(1), 48–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/1053-0479.15.1.48
Van Schalkwyk, I. (2022). Community-based interventions to improve well-being of youth in a high-risk community in South Africa: Researcher’s experiences and implementation outcomes. In Embracing well-being in diverse African contexts: Research perspectives (pp. 399–423). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85924-4_17
Young, T. L., & Nelson-Gardell, D. (2018). A grounded theory study of collaboration in multidisciplinary teams. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 12(5), 576–595. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2018.1436112
Yusupovna, R. M. (2025, April). Innovative approaches to the effective organization of psychological services in preschool educational institutions. In The Conference Hub (pp. 84–90).
Berman, H. (2011). The development and practice of art therapy as “community art counselling” in South Africa. Art Therapy Online, 2(2).
Boboyi, A. (2024). Exploring “Ubuntu” philosophy as a foundation for holistic school social work in South Africa. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 9(1), 253–264. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.2024.14
Chigangaidze, R. K. (2021). Defending the African philosophy of Ubuntu and its place in clinical social work practice in mental health: The biopsychosocial and ecological systems perspectives. Social Work in Mental Health, 19(4), 276–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2021.1910894
Chigangaidze, R. K. (2022). Utilising Ubuntu in social work practice: Ubuntu in the eyes of the multimodal approach. Journal of Social Work Practice, 36(3), 291–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2021.1981276
Chigangaidze, R. (2025). An exposition of the relevance of Ubuntu philosophy in social work: A humanistic social work perspective (Doctoral dissertation, University of Staffordshire).
Chilisa, B. (2012). Indigenous research methodologies. Sage Publications.
Engelbrecht, C., & Kasiram, M. I. (2012). The role of Ubuntu in families living with mental illness in the community. South African Family Practice, 54(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/20786204.2012.10874268
Ewuoso, C., & Hall, S. (2019). Core aspects of Ubuntu: A systematic review. South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, 12(2), 93–103. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJBL.2019.v12i2.679
Fouché, A., & Walker-Williams, H. J. (2016). A group intervention programme for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Social Work, 52(4), 525–545. https://doi.org/10.15270/52-4-529
Fouché, S., & Stevens, M. (2018, October). Co-creating spaces for resilience to flourish: A community music therapy project in Cape Town, South Africa. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v18i4.2592
Goldstein Nolan, E., & Mumpton, J. (2024). Community art therapy: A working definition and practice approaches. Art Therapy, 41(4), 176–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2023.2280552
Gylseth, S. I. (2008). Psychology and Ubuntu: Therapeutic meetings in a South African context. University of Oslo (master’s).
Hanks, T. L. (2008). The Ubuntu paradigm: Psychology’s next force? Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 48(1), 116–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167807303004
Jones, A. (2006). Multidisciplinary team working: Collaboration and conflict. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 15(1), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2006.00400.x
Kapitan, A., & Kapitan, L. (2023). Language is power: Anti-oppressive, conscious language in art therapy practice. International Journal of Art Therapy, 28(1–2), 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2022.2112721
Kapitan, L. (2015). Social action in practice: Shifting the ethnocentric lens in cross-cultural art therapy encounters. Art Therapy, 32(3), 104–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2015.1060403
Kapitan, L., Litell, M., & Torres, A. (2011). Creative art therapy in a community’s participatory research and social transformation. Art Therapy, 28(2), 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2011.578238
Lee, J., Bifano, S. M., Bombacie, M. J., Lakhaney, D., Steinberg, D. M., Gangopadhyay, M., & Gold, M. A. (2023). The development of a multidisciplinary support network to support hospitalized pediatric patients, their families, and hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical Acupuncture, 35(4), 180–185. https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2023.0011
Letseka, M. (2012). In defence of Ubuntu. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 31(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-011-9267-2
Lutz, D. W. (2009). African Ubuntu philosophy and global management. Journal of Business Ethics, 84(Suppl. 3), 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0204-z
Matahela, V. E. (2025). Creativity in health sciences education: A humanising approach. In Instructional approaches for health professions education (pp. 35–66). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-4334-0.ch002
Metz, T. (2011). Ubuntu as a moral theory and human rights in South Africa. African Human Rights Law Journal, 11(2), 532–559.
Metz, T., & Gaie, J. B. (2010). The African ethic of Ubuntu/Botho: Implications for research on morality. Journal of Moral Education, 39(3), 273–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2010.497609
Meyer, M., & Balfour, R. (2020). Old symbols for new journeys: Re-imagining transdisciplinary collaboration for learning and transformative practice in education. Africa Education Review, 17(1), 141–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2018.1486686
Miller, C. (2015). Strengthening the arts therapist identity in multidisciplinary settings. In Arts therapists in multidisciplinary settings: Working together for better outcomes (p. 23). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Mpofu, E., Myambo, K., Mogaji, A. A., Mashego, T. A., & Khaleefa, O. H. (2006). African perspectives on creativity. In The international handbook of creativity (pp. 456–489). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511818240.016
Mueller, J., Alie, C., Jonas, B., Brown, E., & Sherr, L. (2011). A quasi-experimental evaluation of a community-based art therapy intervention exploring the psychosocial health of children affected by HIV in South Africa. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 16(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02682.x
Ngondo, P. S., & Klyueva, A. (2022). Toward an Ubuntu-centered approach to health communication theory and practice. Review of Communication, 22(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2021.2024871
Ngubane, N., & Makua, M. (2021). Ubuntu pedagogy – Transforming educational practices in South Africa through an African philosophy: From theory to practice. Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.4102/ink.v13i1.9
Nicolaides, A. (2023). Considering the philosophy of Ubuntu in South African healthcare ethical practices. The Journal of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology of South Africa, 5(1), 71–76. https://doi.org/10.36303/JMLSTSA.133
Nolan, E. G. (2023). Community art therapy: Theory and practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003193289-2
Oborn, E., & Dawson, S. (2010). Knowledge and practice in multidisciplinary teams: Struggle, accommodation and privilege. Human Relations, 63(12), 1835–1857. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726710371237
Ottemiller, D. D., & Awais, Y. J. (2016). A model for art therapists in community-based practice. Art Therapy, 33(3), 144–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2016.1199245
Powell, S. M., & Hohenhaus, S. M. (2006). Multidisciplinary team training and the art of communication. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 7(4), 238–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpem.2006.08.007
Qangule, L. S. (2019). An investigation of the experiences of psychotherapists regarding Ubuntu in their psychotherapy practice: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Rhodes University (doctorate).
Ramose, M. B. (1999). African philosophy through Ubuntu. Mond Books.
Raymond, A., Lania, A. Z., Desombiaux-Sigley, A., Talmage, A., Treefoot, A., Mulholland, L. M., & Van Bueren, T. L. (2015). Arts therapists in multidisciplinary settings: Working together for better outcomes. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Schoeman, M. (2016). The African concept of Ubuntu and restorative justice. In Reconstructing restorative justice philosophy (pp. 291–310). Routledge.
Smith, K. (2015). Understanding leading a multidisciplinary team. Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association, 45, 85–94.
Solomon, G. (2006). Development of art therapy in South Africa: Dominant narratives and marginalized stories. Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal, 19(1), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/08322473.2006.11432281
Udah, H., Tusasiirwe, S., Mugumbate, R., & Gatwiri, K. (2025). Ubuntu philosophy, values, and principles: An opportunity to do social work differently. Journal of Social Work. [Advance online publication]. https://doi.org/10.1177/14680173241312749
Van Dyk, G. A. J., & Nefale, M. C. (2005). The split-ego experience of Africans: Ubuntu therapy as a healing alternative. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 15(1), 48–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/1053-0479.15.1.48
Van Schalkwyk, I. (2022). Community-based interventions to improve well-being of youth in a high-risk community in South Africa: Researcher’s experiences and implementation outcomes. In Embracing well-being in diverse African contexts: Research perspectives (pp. 399–423). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85924-4_17
Young, T. L., & Nelson-Gardell, D. (2018). A grounded theory study of collaboration in multidisciplinary teams. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 12(5), 576–595. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2018.1436112
Yusupovna, R. M. (2025, April). Innovative approaches to the effective organization of psychological services in preschool educational institutions. In The Conference Hub (pp. 84–90).
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Feb 3, 2026
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Art therapy, Ubuntu, and multidisciplinary collaboration in South Africa: ‘We are because I am’. (2026). South African Journal of Arts Therapies, 3(2), 92-106. https://doi.org/10.36615/mn9ygd02
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Author Biography
Gugulethu Manana, University of Johannesburg
Gugulethu Pearl Manana is a registered Art Therapist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) based in Johannesburg. She holds qualifications in early childhood and foundation phase teaching, as well as a postgraduate degree in strategic marketing and marketing management. She has extensive experience in trauma-informed art therapy, community-based interventions, psycho-legal interventions, and psychoeducation, and has contributed to workshops, research, and presentations focused on children, adolescents, and survivors of gender-based violence in community, legal, and advocacy settings. Her work bridges psychosocial support with advocacy, emphasising culturally responsive and culturally sensitive practices. Trained as a community art counsellor, graduated with the very first master's in art therapy student cohort, and first black African art therapist trained at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa in 2023.
How to Cite
Art therapy, Ubuntu, and multidisciplinary collaboration in South Africa: ‘We are because I am’. (2026). South African Journal of Arts Therapies, 3(2), 92-106. https://doi.org/10.36615/mn9ygd02
