Call 0480 479 284 for a free 15-minute chat and see if working together feels right for you.
counselling ~ trauma therapy ~ art therapy ~ clinical supervision ~ creative workshops
What is art therapy?
Art therapy uses creativity as part of therapy, guided by a trained art therapist. It can offer another way to explore thoughts, feelings and experiences when words don’t quite feel like enough. You don’t even have to talk.
You don’t need to be “good at art” or see yourself as creative. We might use drawing, painting, collage, clay, movement or objects to express things, make sense of what’s going on, or simply slow down and connect with yourself.
There’s no right or wrong way to do art therapy. You can talk while you create, create quietly, or move between the two. The approach is shaped around you and what feels comfortable.
Art therapy can be particularly helpful for people who:
-
find it hard to put feelings into words
-
feel more comfortable expressing themselves creatively
-
want a different way to explore difficult experiences
-
process trauma that you cannot speak outloud
-
enjoy hands-on or sensory activities
-
have found traditional talk therapy doesn’t quite fit
-
kids and adolescents who do not yet have the words to express how they feel
So... what does an art therapy session actually look like?
Many people have seen the colouring books or made art and found that they felt calm or excited or just a general positive change...This is absolutely therapeutic! However, art therapy with an art therapist is quite different! Here are a couple examples of how art making in a session could look:
-
bilateral artwork - can be used in EMDR and helps with nervous system integration and regulating emotions.
-
scribbling and mark making - assists with challenging perfectionism and emotion regulations
-
"art dialogue" - meaning an art therapist asks questions to assist the client to 'talk' with the artwork and make meaning from it.
-
sand tray- create scenes with figures that you can change as you process its meaning.
-
using colours and symbols to increase understanding of your emotions and any body sensations that you feel with that emotion.
-
sensory based art activities - squishing and manipulating clay. Art materials have been studied, and we know that certain art mediums can bring emotions to the surface for people more than other mediums!