Art therapy, Ubuntu, and multidisciplinary collaboration in South Africa: ‘We are because I am’

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.