Art Therapy
"Sue is a professional counsellor and artist who has worked as an art therapist for more than 15 years. She has assisted clients of all ages and has been employed by various Primary Schools to support children displaying learning and behavioural difficulties such as anger, withdrawal, bullying, ADD, ADHD, depression and low self-esteem. Asperger children in particular have shown a great joy in achieving expanded behaviour patterns through Sue’s unique methods.
​
MANDALA WORKSHOPS
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Sue is approachable, respected, professional and caring. She quickly establishes a rapport with each of her students and insightfully explores their issues through Art Media. Her impact on high risk and disengaged students has been profound as she challenges them to identify their hidden talents and self-worth. Sue is patient and a wonderful listener. Her approach is balanced and perceptive. Her creativity and willingness to try new things creates an environment of inspiration and opportunity.
- Katherine Drillis,
Student Counselor
Sue has worked with many of my students and I have witnessed a patient, caring and nurturing person that children regard as a friend. She instils a sense of self-worth within the children who often experiencing low self-esteem. They consistently returned to class smiling, proud of their achievements and happy that time had been taken to listen to their concerns. Sue provided me with ideas to implement in the classroom to help with the management of these more challenging children. She helped me understand their behaviours. She is an inspiring individual.
— Jo Oram,
Class Teacher
Sue has a broad range of skills which she utilizes with the children. She displays excellent knowledge of her subject matter, providing instruction that is relevant and educational for the various ages across the Primary school. Her great organizational ability enables her to ensure that the children receive maximum benefit from her time with them.Sue has shown herself to be a competent professional who works hard to achieve excellent results.
— Christine Clark,
Principal
ART THERAPY FQA
What Is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, or modelling.
It may surprise you to learn that art can be an effective tool in mental health treatment. As an expressive medium, art can be used to help clients communicate, overcome stress, and explore different aspects of their own personalities.
Art therapy integrates psychotherapeutic techniques with the creative process to improve mental health and well-being. It’s a profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behaviour, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight."
How Does Art Therapy Work?
An art therapist may use a variety of art methods including drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage with clients ranging from young children to the elderly. Clients who have experienced emotional trauma, physical violence, domestic abuse, anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues can benefit from expressing themselves creatively. Hospitals, private mental health offices, schools, and community organizations are all possible settings where art therapy services may be available.
You might also wonder how an art therapy session differs from the average art class. "In most art therapy sessions, the focus is on your inner experience—your feelings, perceptions, and imagination. While art therapy may involve learning skills or art techniques, the emphasis is generally first on developing and expressing images that come from inside the person, rather than those he or she sees in the outside world," explains Cathy Maldiochi in The Art Therapy Sourcebook . "And while some traditional art classes may ask you to paint or draw from your imagination, in art therapy, your inner world of images, feelings, thoughts, and ideas are always of primary importance to the experience."
​
When Did Art Therapy Originate?
While people have been using the arts as a way to express, communicate, and heal for thousands of years, art therapy only began to formalize during the middle of the 20th-century. Doctors noted that individuals suffering from mental illness often expressed themselves in drawings and other artworks, which led many to explore the use of art as a healing strategy. Since then, art has become an important part of the therapeutic field and is used in some assessment and treatment techniques.
When Is Art Therapy Used?
Art therapy can be used to treat a wide range of mental disorders and psychological distress.
Some situations in which art therapy might be utilized include:
Children with learning disabilities
Adults experiencing severe stress
Children suffering from behavioural or social problems at school or at home
People experiencing mental health problems
Individuals suffering from a brain injury
Children or adults who have experienced a traumatic event
"Sue’s compassionate and nurturing techniques have proved highly successful in assisting the client to understand and cope with daily life with more ease, joy and self-acceptance. Her specific techniques are designed to balance the left and right brain which potentially creates balanced behaviours. Such balance assists the client in attaining deeper levels of acceptance and understanding for self, others and their surrounds"