About Arts Therapy

Creative arts therapy is an experiential psychotherapeutic approach utilising arts modalities within a relationship with a trained therapist, attending to emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual well-being.

The Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA)

Arts therapy for health professionals

Health and welfare professionals working in stretched teams with complex case loads face pressures that are difficult to explain.

Family and friends encourage us to ‘look after ourselves’ and ‘not take work home’ failing to understand that the stretched systems we work within rely on us doing exactly that.

Trauma informed clinical supervision explores the emotional impact of caring work. The risks we take personally and professionally when support is inadequate and options available to protect ourselves from psychological injury and recover from burnout.

Reasons for seeking an arts based approach

Art is increasingly the go to modality for trauma therapy. For health and welfare professionals working in traumatised systems, art offers a safe, gentle and non shaming way to explore our work practices. It illuminates unconscious processes and is useful in gaining insight into both professional and personal issues.

What does a typical session look like?

Arts based reflection is process not product orientated. It’s not about creating a beautiful end piece but about paying attention to the process of creating.

Just like other types of therapy, a person who is seeking support is met with an experienced and accredited professional. Art therapists believe that we are all experts of our own lives and, in the right circumstances, each person has the inner wisdom to reflect, understand and act.

A session begins with a check in and clarification of intention. Then there is an opportunity to make some art!

Creative arts therapy is not interpretative. There will be no ink blots and analysis for hidden meanings!

You are advised to wear something that you feel happy in that is suitable for art creation.