Art Therapy
Creative Arts Therapy
Creative arts therapy uses art materials and processes, creative movements and gestures, sounds and words, to creatively and therapeutically explore aspects of a client’s life.
The focus of art therapy is on the process and not the final product. Art therapy emphasises therapeutic art-making practices to ‘make sense’ of our lives, and to ‘make space’ for what carries meaning.
Benefits of art therapy include increased clarity and insight, greater self awareness, and relief from anxiety and depression.
Art therapy is suitable for people of all ages.
Art Therapy (in-person)
Mobile art therapy - I travel to your home or workplace in the Canberra Region. I work with people of all ages, including NDIS participants. All materials provided.
60 minute in-person session (home visit) - $190
Please be in touch via the contact form to schedule a session or for more details. I offer a free initial consult (over the phone or online via zoom) to answer your questions and to provide more information.
Art Therapy (online)
Online art therapy sessions are a very effective way to explore various aspects in your life that might have you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, anxious or depressed. Art therapy is also great to explore aspects of your life that feel resonant, important, or of value to you.
An online session runs for 1 hour and can build on previous sessions, leading to an ongoing inquiry (exploration) where you can journal and inquire more deeply in your own personal time, and continue to bring insights to the therapeutic relationship during online sessions.
Art therapy can also be combined with IFS Therapy - integrating these two modalities can be a powerful way to cultivate more self compassion and bring clarity and sense of purpose to your daily rhythms.
60 minute online session (via Zoom) - $140
Please be in touch via the contact page to schedule a session or to find out more. I offer a free initial consult to answer your questions and to provide more information.
What is art therapy?
Art therapy is suitable for people of all ages, from children through to adults. It is a form of psychotherapy that is facilitated by a fully qualified art therapist. I have completed a Masters' degree in Therapeutic Arts Practice (M.ThAP) through the MIECAT Institute in Melbourne, and I am registered with ANZACATA, the foremost registration body for art therapists in Australia/Pacific region.
Art therapy uses a person-centered approach to working with clients. Therapy goals are determined according to the needs and goals of the individual. The process of art therapy engages the client through the use of art materials, creative expression (including visual arts, written word and expression, sounds and gestures), and the relationships and conversations between the client and therapist.
Art therapy can allow you to communicate your lived experience without words, can help you work through stuck-points, and see things from a new perspective. Art therapy can bring a lot of clarity and insight to your relationships, thoughts, behaviours, emotions, personal identity, and much more.
I have worked with clients (both children and adults) through the NDIS, people living with epilepsy, autistic children and adults, and many more. I have also worked with artists, yoga teachers, and spiritual practitioners to find clarity in their vision, to get unstuck, and to create inner and outer space in their lives.
You don't need to be 'good at art' to benefit from art therapy; the benefits come from the process, not the product. Art therapy can also be combined with other modalities, such as IFS Therapy or Eco-Therapy, for a unique and individual approach to healing.
“Your art can be an abundant source of personal insight and self-knowing.”
Sarah Owen
FAQs
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A lot of people feel nervous before engaging in art therapy. It is a common question that people ask - 'Do I need to be good at art to find art therapy useful?' Or they might say 'Oh, I'm really bad at art, so art therapy scares me'.
An important thing to know about art therapy is that it is about the process of engaging with art - not the final product - that makes art therapy so useful. In fact, in art therapy, imperfect art-making is encouraged.
There can be internal resistance when we try anything new, including beginning art therapy. That's okay. This is a new process, and the more you practice making art, the more natural it will feel. Creativity is like a muscle you can exercise - the more you practice the stronger it becomes.
Through working with an art therapist, you might find that the creative, expressive process of art making can be self-soothing, helping your body and mind feel calmer, and helping you process thoughts and feelings without a strong focus on verbal interactions.
It's important to know too - an art therapist is not trained to interpret or analyse your artwork, so you can rest assured that you will not be judged or analysed in an art therapy session.
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This is a huge misconception about art therapy!
A properly trained art therapist will not analyse or interpret your finished art (or art processes) during or after a session.
The role of the therapist is NOT to interpret your art work, but to facilitate self-awareness during the process.
Everybody's lived experience is completely unique, and a good art therapist will guide you to make sense of your exploration without making assumptions or drawing conclusions that may not be significant to you. Your art-making process is unique to you and will carry personal meaning.
An art therapist will not analyse your art or your art-making process, but instead guide you to 'connect the dots' and make sense of your exploration in a way that is meaningful and relevant for you.
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An art therapy session might begin with some talking - what has been happening in your life, what brings you to the session, what aspects might you be keen to explore?
Sometimes a client cannot put into words their experiences, and that is okay too. Sometimes there is just a vague 'felt sense'.
After some discussion, the client (with the guidance of the therapist) decides on an 'access point' - a starting point.
From here, you'll spend some time reflecting on this access point - how does it manifest in your body or your life? What is the 'felt sense' of the experience or topic you wish to explore? If is had a colour, what might that be? If it had a texture, what might that be? If it could be represented in a gesture, what might that be?
You will then spend some time exploring the felt-sense (the access point in your inquiry), using art-making materials and processes that feel aligned with your felt-sense.
As the process continues, it will be guided by your own inner promptings (intuition), with the art therapist engaging as a companion to the process - inviting curiosity and reflection along the way, for you to begin to 'connect the dots' and make sense of it all.
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Children's art therapy sessions might be quite different to a adults session.
For adults and children alike, the sessions will be somewhat playful and exploratory in nature.
For children, the focus might be on developing fine motor skills, or perhaps using language to describe the process of art-making.
An element of art therapy with children might be around 'story-telling' - engaging in narrative explorations about the objects of creation. For example, children might create a 'treasure map' during a session, and then describe - or tell a story - about the aspects of the map and the characters that appear as part of that process.
It's important to remember that art therapy is non-pathologising, so there is no analysis or assessment of the child during or after a session. The process is about relationship building - developing trust between the client and therapist, and inviting more confidence and self-determination in the child.