Art therapy
Art therapy provides a safe creative space where art making and the relationship between you and the therapist will aim to understand negative feelings that you might be experiencing.
Encouraging uninhibited curiosity and play with art materials can ignite the artist within, leading to insights into ineffective behaviours, low self esteem, anxiety, depression, loss and bereavement.
If you are interested in having art therapy, it is not a requirement to consider yourself competent in art. Perhaps you loved painting and drawing but someone squashed your enthusiasm for it, causing you to lose confidence. Art therapy can help with this. If you prefer, visual description of dreams or unpleasant feelings can be looked at with you, the aim to move on from them.
Art therapy is a state registered profession and it is a legal requirement to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in order to be practising anywhere in the UK.
For Samaritans call 116 123.
One-to-one therapy
Art therapy one-to-one takes place in my studio, but can also take place on Zoom, Skype or WhatsApp. (If you prefer email, this is also possible).
Art therapy can be tailored to your specific situation.
Group and Community work
You might be interested in being part of a weekly expressive art group, with the intention of helping you unwind from negative thoughts (perhaps increased due to the lockdown), that seem to inhabit our minds from time to time, which you might be having a hard time shaking off.
I have over 20 years experience running groups, which includes:
An expressive art therapy support group for people with MS
To promote emotional well-being by igniting the artist within, heightening self-esteem and confidence. This was funded by the Harrow MS society.
A large ‘drop-in’ weekly two hour art therapy group for people with various mental health needs
They were provided with a choice of art materials and set their own creative agenda. The cathartic process of art making enabled people to share their sense of isolation due to the closing down of the large Victorian institutions which had been their home for many years.
At this ‘drop-in’ group, people had the option of taking part in a local exhibition which highlighted their fears about their community day centre, which at that time was also under threat of closure. The participants viewed their framed artworks on public display in the Harrow Library. The exhibition was featured in the local newspaper and with active help from the public it remained open for over a year.
A weekly expressive arts group for women who, for various reasons, found assimilating into the UK difficult
Vibrant art-making and candid conversations enabled the expression of many feelings which brought humour and friendship through shared experiences.
A ‘one-off’ expressive art group of eight high school students who were lacking motivation to learn
The students volunteered to be part of this group. Art making was used to engage them, and every students work was part of a large piece of work titled ‘Reach for the stars’. They were proud of their active involvement and the final group image. As a result of this, NADFAS (National Association of Decorative Fine Art Society), funded me to run one-to-one art therapy sessions for vulnerable students.
Many expressive arts groups for students from primary and secondary education
To address a number of concerns such as low self-esteem, apathy towards class instruction and feelings of being uncomfortable socializing or communicating. Small weekly student groups of from 3 to 6 have proved successful as part of school emotional care plans.
Long-term art therapy groups for adults with a range of learning and mental health needs
Weekly non-directive art-making enabled participants to connect with and support each other and have acknowledgement of current concerns.
Involving the whole school, expressive art workshops around mental health and anti-bullying weeks
These were orchestrated and developed by me with the help of all staff and students. This evoked a strong sense of community across all cultures which were united by the theme and active involvement in creating a large art work together.
About me
I have been working continuously as an art therapist since 1994.
I am registered with the H.C.P.C. (Health and Care Professions Council), which is a legal requirement to work as an art therapist in the UK.
I have a rolling DBS verification for work with children and vulnerable adults. My public liability insurance covers me for work as an artist in health, art therapy, art therapy online and supervision.
After attaining a BA (Hons) in Fine Art, I worked in a residential school for young people on the Autistic spectrum. My interest in the evident therapeutic aspects of art-making inspired me to qualify as an art therapist at St Albans College of Art and Design.
Being a practising artist is very important to my work as an art therapist, for me, they are linked, as one seems to ignite the other.
Key Skills
- The ability to create a calm, non-judgmental and safe creative environment where the art medium can be explored.
- The experience to know when to be directive during the session and when to follow the child, young person or adult at their pace.
- The ability to discern when the art process and image created render spoken words unnecessary.
In a school setting, the ability to unobtrusively facilitate the art-making process when necessary. It is very important for children to leave the session with heightened self esteem and hope. - Many years positive experience of working as part of a team for the students best interest in schools.
Continued passion and belief in the power of art-making and how it can lead to positive change for children and adults within the triage of art, therapist and child or adult. - A continued child’s sense of wonder and propensity for exploratory play.
Supervision – I have extensive experience working with individuals from age five through to adult who are on the autism spectrum. My work spans mainstream and specialist education, alternative provision, adult day care, and dementia services. I offer supervision to Art Therapists working in these areas.
Art therapy for schools
Art therapy can be effective for:
- Students experiencing emotions that are hard to understand, leading to behavioural concerns.
- Those who find social situations and communication uncomfortable.
- Students suffering with particular life events such as bereavement, changes in family structure and illness.
- Displaced people.
- Students with learning or physical needs.
- Students on the Autistic spectrum.
- Students diagnosed as having OCD, ODD, ADHD.
- Concerning behaviours associated with stress, anxiety or depression.
- Children looked after through fostering or adoption.
- Children under CPS.
Why consider art therapy for schools?
In its simplest form it can be used to heighten self esteem and nurture confidence, these feelings can be carried into lessons and social situations.
An image can act as a bridge when words seem too painful. Some students may explore their artwork on a deeper level. With this understanding they can move on from negative emotions to nurturing self worth and self respect. This has a positive effect on behaviour.
Students sit comfortably in a creative environment, art is a natural phenomenon through which unpleasant and frightening feelings can be offloaded. The therapist can gently explore these feelings with the student.
Team work (confidential umbrella of emotional care)
Liaising closely with staff, the student’s welfare is contained within a team with trust and confidentiality.
Art therapy is a flexible part of the care structure and works as a one-off or as a number of sessions.
Creative strategies
With some children, the images created can be talked about metaphorically and an understanding of their confused feelings may be reached. For others, who do not have the ability to work in that way, the art therapist uses a mixture of creative strategies to help the child emotionally.
The importance of cards
Making cards to give a thought to someone they care about. Used for endings, making an ending bearable by acknowledging the warmth of the friendship and respecting it.
Using clay
Many 3D objects have been created and painted. Some might have a use; some are purely expressive art works. We reflect on the images in clay, discussing the feelings they evoke.
Talking metaphorically
Some students prefer talking in a visually descriptive way about how they are feeling.
Dramatic titles
Teenage students tend to enjoy dramatic themes and are able to explore many feelings creatively through these.
The importance of cartoons
Cartoons can be used to explore a real or imagined problem. Expressing anger through imagery, students seem to enjoy using cartoon images to portray anger and violence.
Dreams, nightmares and aspirations
Exploring possibilities. What is stopping us? How do we get there? In my experience students enjoy sharing their dreams. They revel in the description of nightmares and the fear that is evoked by describing every detail with a similar intensity to that of a small child. Fears and anxieties manifest themselves through dreams. Exploring the feeling from the nightmare can lead to an understanding of what is going on for that student in his/her life. His/her fears can be expressed.
The tree
The tree is one of the most celebrated images of the self according to C.J Jung. Discussed skillfully it can be an avenue to explore the fragile self, its strengths and vulnerabilities, and can give an insight into how the student might be feeling in the present.
Non-directional
Students enjoy the creative space for what it is. They have their own creative agenda and use much if not all of the art equipment available to them.
Sometimes, students whose lives are saturated with mental health professionals, social workers, counsellors and therapists wish to use the time to express themselves visually and not talk.
The cathartic value of art-making is widely acknowledged. The subconscious is a powerful enigma that is not fully understood and through my experience with young people thus far I have witnessed the immense healing potential of art making in its pure form, within a therapeutic boundary.
There seems to me to be a naturally increased sense of creative drive amongst teenagers, similar to the time of heightened creativity in small children.
During this time as a small child, images are not explored but accepted for what they are. A natural process of ‘getting rid of unpleasant feelings’ by drawing monsters etc.
Most students have talked about personal issues. The imagery having been used as a bridge between therapist and student.
The need for creative play
Some students might appear to be outwardly developing sexual beings, however there is often a fragile and vulnerable infant inside. Sometimes creative play can be used as a nurturing tool and a relationship develops through play.
Trust and communication by doodling
The doodle can be explored and reflections on the colours and lines may ensue. Doodling itself is cathartic and can serve to fuel a student’s creative juices.
The use of fantasy characters
Some students enjoy imagining that they are a particular character from a film. They take on the character’s power and fantasise about the destruction they can bring to their persecutors. These feelings can be explored and reasons for them understood.
Good and bad memories
How important to us are these memories? Why are they ingrained in our minds? Like a replay we can explore the event visually or through words or both. We have explored the imprints in our minds and reasons why they might be so strong.
The importance of flags
Some students wish to show pride in their country, despite the atrocities that might be happening there. They want to share the happy memories as well as the tragic. They need to grieve and also receive validation for the loss of their homeland.
The importance of the canvas, palette and paints. Producing complete art works
Encouraging creative self-exploration and witnessing the self-belief a student feels when he or she has achieved a self-initiated commitment to completing a piece of artwork.
Messy art
Within a contained environment, facilitating the tearing of paper saturated with paint and keeping this creative mess for further work from week to week.
How you see yourself
How do you think others see you? How would you like to be seen? This raises awareness of the images that have been given to students which they are not happy with. Heightening this awareness gives the student control and power to create an image he/she is comfortable with. The artwork may be figurative or non-figurative.
Exploring a word like “peace” or “anger”, or whichever word a student chooses
Giving a sense of the word by colour, shape etc. Sometimes the word says one thing, but the feeling the image conveys says the opposite. We discuss this phenomenon and reflect the feeling back to the student, where does it come from and what might the reason be for it?
Art therapy online
You will need:
- A quiet space
- Internet access
- Access to Zoom or Skype
Message me if you would prefer another channel, for example email or WhatsApp.
You do not need to consider yourself good at art, but if you are reading this, it seems you have an interest in the arts.
Perhaps you might prefer talking in a visually descriptive way – painting a picture with your mind.
If you decide you would like to explore your creative side through art-making, materials and paper of your choice would be required.
From experience, if you are thinking of drawing with a pencil, a dark one would be easier to see when you hold the image up to the camera.
Expressive art therapy groups are conducted with the aim of igniting the artist within. A time for connection and creative solace from every day negative emotional hiccups.
What the art therapist will provide:
Imagination, to look with you at whatever is worrying you currently and, using established art therapeutic tools, invite you to reassess it and have a different perspective, so that you might gain insight and see there is the possibility for change.
Gentle exploring of negative behaviours that might have arisen from life changing situations to do with loss in relationships, bereavement, anxiety, stress, depression and low self-esteem.
A chance to understand, with the help of imagery, either through art making or verbal pictorial description, what might be stopping you making constructive changes.
Encouragement of your unique artistic self so that you can feel empowered to express creatively.
An opportunity to ignite the artist within and enable you to feel confident in your ability to create.
History of art therapy
Art therapy as a profession began in the mid-20th century.
The British artist Adrian Hill coined the term ‘art therapy’ in 1942. Recovering from tuberculosis in a sanatorium, he discovered the therapeutic benefits of drawing and painting while convalescing and recommended it to his fellow patients. That began his art therapy work, which was documented in 1945 in his book, Art Versus Illness.
Edward Adamson, “the father of art therapy in Britain” joined Adrian Hill after the Second World War to extend Hill’s work to the British mental health sector.
