Resilience in Action: A Study of Disaster Volunteers Using Play Therapy in the 2018 Lombok and Palu Earthquakes

This paper explores the transformative experience of disaster volunteers with the involvement of professionals who applied play and creative art therapy during the post-earthquake recovery efforts in Lombok and Palu, Indonesia in 2018. Drawing on participatory action research, the study involved 24 volunteers over six months, uncovering a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative insights into disaster volunteers’ motivation, resilience, and the therapeutic impact of creative interventions in disaster settings. This participatory action research involved twenty four disaster volunteers within the span of 24 weeks. The study utilises narrative inquiry, questionnaire, observations, and the resilience scale. Fostering a culture of volunteerism, developing strategies for resilience to further navigate through disasters, this study suggests a practical implementation to help children, families and communities experiencing disasters in Indonesia or globally.