Art Therapy
Art therapy is an evidence-informed form of psychotherapy that uses art-making alongside therapeutic reflection and conversation to support emotional expression, psychological wellbeing and personal change. Registered Art Therapists (AThR) undertake Master’s-level professional training, including supervised clinical practice, and meet the professional and ethical standards required for registration with ANZACATA (Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association). No artistic experience or ability is required.
Individual Art Therapy
For adults and children
People come to art therapy for different reasons. You may be going through a difficult period, feeling anxious or overwhelmed, struggling with relationships, dealing with loss or change, or finding that familiar ways of coping are no longer working. Sometimes it is difficult to explain exactly what is wrong, only that things have become harder.
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Art therapy offers a way to explore these experiences through art-making as well as conversation. Making something can sometimes help us notice feelings, memories or patterns that are difficult to access through words alone. You do not need any art experience, and the focus is not on making good art.
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I work with children, young people and adults experiencing a range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including:
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anxiety, stress and feeling overwhelmed
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low mood or loss of motivation
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difficulties with self-esteem and sense of self
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relationship and interpersonal difficulties
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grief, loss and major life changes
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difficult feelings or experiences that are hard to talk about
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recurring emotional or behavioural patterns
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periods of adjustment or uncertainty​
Sessions are different for each person. Some may involve more art-making, while others may involve more talking and reflection. We can work at a pace that allows difficult experiences to be explored without requiring you to explain or understand everything straight away.
My approach is particularly interested in how our experiences, relationships and circumstances shape the ways we see ourselves and respond to the world. Therapy can provide a space to understand these patterns more clearly and explore different ways of relating to yourself, others and what you are going through.
Group Art Therapy
For adults
Group art therapy brings together two therapeutic processes: art-making and the experience of being with others. Participants can explore emotions and experiences through images and materials while also witnessing how other people express, understand and respond to similar human experiences.
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Making visible what can be difficult to say
Art can provide another language for experiences that are difficult to organise or communicate verbally. In group art therapy, an image can become something that can be looked at, reflected upon and shared at a person's own pace. Research on group art therapy has identified symbolic expression, embodiment, relational experience, play and shared ritual as important therapeutic processes particular to working with art in groups.
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Discovering that our experiences are shared
One of the established therapeutic processes in group psychotherapy is universality — the recognition that thoughts, feelings and struggles we experience privately are often shared by others. Groups can also provide opportunities for interpersonal learning, mutual support, gaining different perspectives and developing greater self-understanding.
Art adds another dimension to this. Participants do not have to explain everything through conversation. Seeing the different ways people respond creatively to a common theme can reveal both shared experiences and individual differences.
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Connection is part of the therapeutic process
The relationships that develop within a group are not simply a backdrop to therapy. Research consistently identifies group cohesion — the sense of connection, trust and belonging within a therapeutic group — as associated with better therapeutic outcomes. A meta-analysis of 55 studies found a significant, moderate relationship between group cohesion and treatment outcomes, while more recent meta-analytic research found that both group cohesion and the therapeutic alliance independently predicted improvement.
For some people, creating alongside others can also make connection feel more natural. Attention can move between the artwork, one's own experience and the group, rather than relying entirely on face-to-face conversation.
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Learning through witnessing
A group allows participants to encounter perspectives beyond their own. Someone else's artwork, story or way of approaching a material may prompt recognition, curiosity or a new way of understanding an experience. Group psychotherapy research describes related processes including interpersonal learning, observing others, mutual support and developing hope through witnessing change in other group members.
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No art experience is required. Group art therapy is facilitated by a Registered Art Therapist (AThR), with attention to therapeutic boundaries, confidentiality and the needs of each member within the group.