DISCOVER YOUR TRUE SELF

THROUGH CREATIVE EXPRESSION

WHAT IS ART PSYCHOTHERAPY?

Art psychotherapy is a way to explore internal and external worlds through the use of image-making. It embraces the idea that art is a means of symbolic communication and expresses emotions, personality, and other aspects of the human experience.
Art psychotherapy may help to help deal with complex and confusing emotional experiences. There may be things felt to be unable to put into words and easier to express through imagery. There are a variety of reasons for this, but art-making can become a powerful mode of communication.
One of the goals of art psychotherapy is to encourage the creative process to help explore self-expression and from this, find new ways to gain personal insight and develop coping skills.
No special artistic skill, talent or ability is required, or in fact any previous experience with art.
Art psychotherapy can be beneficial for children, adolescents and adults.
For children and adolescents, it can help with issues such as: divorce or separation, anxiety, bullying, a new sibling, bereavement, illness or abuse.
For adults, the following issues can be understood and made sense of:
bereavement, abuse, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, illness, psycho-sexual problems.
It has been said that the process of creating art, in and of itself, has an innate capacity to heal.

SERVICES OFFERED

Art Psychotherapy: A Space to Find Meaning Through Creativity

I implement effective art psychotherapy methods to enable clients to seek their own self-understanding and encourage clients them to think about experiences of their inner and outer worlds. I have worked in a supportive capacity for many years in a range of roles from psychotherapy to birth companionship. I provide a compassionate, open and searching space to find meaning.
During an initial art psychotherapy consultation we can think together about what it is you are seeking from this kind of psychotherapy. You will be invited to use art materials with a focus on the process, and your image. Afterwards there will be space to think about your image and how you might wish to move forward with this creative process.
Whether you are seeking individual art psychotherapy, are an organisation wishing to implement support for a group, I look forward to helping unveil the process for an inner experience to begin.

INDIVIDUAL ART PSYCHOTHERAPY

• Art psychotherapy is a type of psychotherapy using image-making as its primary mode of  communication. It is not used to diagnose, rather to allow a free flowing expression of thoughts and feelings. 

• Any number of creative processes can be used including drawing, painting, colouring, sculpting, or collage, in a safe and holding environment in which to explore your inner world. No previous experience of art-making is necessary.

• Sometimes it may be a specific problem or crisis that you'd like help exploring, something from your past, or perhaps you're not quite sure what it is you need to process. But something is pushing you to make changes in your life and live in a fuller and more meaningful way.

• Art psychotherapy can be a way to find meaning for feelings and thoughts that are difficult to express, and by facilitating a language of self expression and reflection.

• Sessions are 50 minutes in duration.

GROUP ART THERAPY

• Group art psychotherapy sessions may help to work with emotional difficulties, mental health problems, behavioural problems as well as issues with physical illness and ageing.

• A selection of art materials are provided and sessions are generally unstructured, but there may be a theme provided depending on the the needs of the group.

• The focus will be on the health of the group whilst each individual member has the space to share and explore their thoughts and feelings.

• Often someone else in the group may be feeling something similar and in this case a familiarity will be felt. A group can provide much needed connection with others.

• Art psychotherapy groups can be particularly beneficial within educational as well as statutory settings.

• Sessions are generally 1.5 hours in length.