What is art therapy?
Art therapy is a gentle mode of psychotherapy which nurtures strengths and creative expression. There is no pressure to talk if you don’t want to. Instead, I encourage self-expression in many forms, which might include painting, drawing, using clay and making collage. You don’t need
any art making experience to benefit from art therapy.
Why art therapy?
Our childhood experiences, as well as our traumatic memories are stored in the non-verbal part of our brain (our brain cleverly does this to keep ourselves safe). These experiences impact our brain development, shape behaviours, influence our values and relationships. These experiences can not always be expressed with words alone. When we attempt to grasp the depth of an experience, whether it be pain connected to a loss, or profound like giving birth, often words fall short.
Art making has the potential to go beyond cognitive communication. The process engages the mind and body to surface our beliefs and attitudes, empowering you as an individual to mould and communicate with what emerges. This creates enough distance between yourself and the emergent narrative to dialogue with to find compassion, space for change and at times, acceptance and resolution. I will carefully suggest interventions and art materials that hold therapeutic qualities, focussing on your strengths and offering experiences of mastery.
Overall, the emphasis of art therapy is on the process of making, which includes arriving at the end product, however, this is not the focus, but rather part of the process. When an artwork arrives at a state of completeness, we may use the piece as a point of reflection.
I will make no interpretations of your work, but rather collaboratively explore the artwork together and support you therapeutically with what shows up.
For more information, take a look here, as art therapist Ann Lawton who explains Art Therapy in her Ted Talk, here.