How I can help
Your therapy sessions are confidential. Developing a positive therapeutic relationship where you feel heard, safe, held and valued, allows you an opportunity to work through any emotional issues you may be experiencing at your pace. This can really help you to hold onto hope for the future.
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Individual art therapy or counselling
I offer individual art therapy and counselling sessions for children, young people and adults in need of mental and emotional support. These can be either online or in person.
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Group art therapy
Small art therapy groups of up to six people can provide a safe space for individuals to express their emotions via art making whilst fostering a sense of belonging.
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Psychoeducational group sessions
Psychoeducation involves learning about and understanding mental health and wellbeing. I provide small psychoeducational groups for primary and secondary school children, as well as adults around grief and loss, stress and anxiety, gender identity etc.
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CPD training
I provide a number of CPD sessions throughout the year, including introductory sessions about art therapy and how it works, introduction to private practice in art therapy and creative approaches to working with clients online. These courses tend to run via Zoom but can also take place in person. Keep an eye on Instagram/Facebook for details of upcoming training courses.
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Online art therapy
If life makes it difficult for you to attend therapy sessions in person, online art therapy sessions via Zoom might be more suitable for you. You will need a device suitable for video conferencing, a stable internet connection and a small selection of art materials.
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Art making for wellbeing/mindful art making sessions
If you or a loved one enjoy art making, an ‘art with heart’ session provides an opportunity for you to engage with a variety of materials to improve general wellbeing. These sessions are also available for groups of employees from various organisations.
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Art therapy supervision
I offer individual supervision, tailored to the needs of your clients, both in person and online. This includes clinical guidance, supporting you to explore therapeutic needs, ethical considerations, potential therapeutic approaches & promoting self-care. I adopt a creative & reflective approach, facilitating the opportunity for artmaking for reflection purposes where appropriate. I have extensive experience in supporting children and young people both as an art psychotherapist and primary teacher, as well as experience in a variety of settings with children, young people and adults in the third sector, NHS, schools and the private sector.
Benefits of art therapy
Therapeutic relationship
Developing a positive therapeutic relationship with a therapist where confidentiality is assured can feel very empowering.
Joint art making
Making art alongside the therapist can help to make you feel much less anxious and self conscious regarding art making.
Doesn’t rely on words
In some cases, words can be too painful. There may be no words to explain how you feel. Art therapy is unique in that it can bypass words, expressing yourself and your emotions within the art making.
Explores emotions
The tactile use of art materials can help you to develop self-awareness in terms of how you are feeling, and help you to regulate your emotions.
Increases self esteem
Having a safe space to explore your feelings can prove really cathartic, reinforcing feelings of self-worth and competence.
Reduces anxiety
Clients who engage with heart psychotherapy often comment how the use of art materials whilst not feeling any pressure to make eye contact can feel very calming, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, low mood and depression.
Parent feedback
“Gentle, friendly, welcoming. It has been a great experience for my daughter and we are using many of the tactics taught to help her to regulate.”
Client feedback
“I liked how I could speak freely without feeling judged. I also like that art and writing things we did.”
How it all works
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If you think art therapy might the right fit for you or a loved one, drop me an email at heartpsychotherapy@outlook.com or get in touch via the contact form on the website. We will then arrange a suitable date and time to have a chat via the telephone or we can communicate via email - whatever you feel most comfortable with.
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During our chat/correspondence, I will ask for some brief information regarding what the presenting issues are, and whether you have engaged in therapeutic support in the past. Our confidential chat will provide you with an opportunity to ask any questions that you might have. If you would like to proceed, I will then email you a referral form to complete. This asks for some basic information about yourself as well as any medical or psychological conditions you may have.
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I will email you the link to a short referral form which you submit online. This asks for a little more information about you/the person you are referring, such as address, date of birth, whether there are any medical needs for me to be aware of and a little more regarding any mental or emotional challenges you might be experiencing.
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Once I have received your referral, we will decide on a suitable date and time for an assessment (or ‘taster’) session. This is a session for you to get a feel for whether art therapy is the right fit for you. We will discuss the therapeutic agreement and I will introduce you to the art as well as other materials on offer.
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If, after the initial session you would like to proceed, we will try to see each other at the same time on a weekly basis. I will always take my lead from you. As the work progresses, we will review the work to see whether you are finding the sessions helpful. If you find it is not proving helpful, I can signpost you to other support services that may be more suited to your needs.
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When you feel like you have achieved what you wanted to achieve as part of your engagement with Heart Psychotherapy, I will invite you to review the artwork you’ve made if this feels right for you when we have our final session. I also invite you to complete a short evaluation via email afterwards, giving you an opportunity to provide feedback on your experience.