What is Art Psychotherapy, and how can it help you?
Art psychotherapy combines the power of creativity with verbal reflection. When you come for art therapy, you don’t need to be “good” at art or have any previous experience in art making — the focus isn’t on producing something finished or perfect, but on what emerges in the process and the meaning you make of it.
Sessions may include a mix of talking, art-making, and reflection. There’s never pressure to create — I’ll support you to find your own comfort, rhythm, and creative flow.
The art psychotherapy process can help you to;
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Express, process and make sense of difficult or overwhelming emotions
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Reduce anxiety and support emotional regulation
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Build self-awareness, confidence, and insight
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Work through grief, loss, trauma, or major life transitions at your own pace
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Improve communication and relationships by deepening understanding of yourself and others
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Reconnect with creativity and playfulness, fostering resilience, self-esteem, and overall wellbeing
Who is an art psychotherapist?
Art Therapists (or Art Psychotherapists—both titles are interchangeable) are professionals who have undertaken HCPC-approved training in art therapy, and are trained to a post graduate diploma level. In the UK, Art Therapists are statutorily regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and must be on this register to practise legally.
I HCPC registration, and hold and enhanced DBS for working with children and vulnerable adults. In line with HCPC requirements, I hold professional indemnity insurance. I also receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) Code of Ethics. This ensures that my practice is safe, ethical, and effective.
What happens in an art therapy session?
Each session is guided by your needs and moves at your pace - this makes every session unique and so there is not one simple and decisive answer to this question.
However, every art therapy session offers a safe, non-judgemental, inclusive and creative space to explore your experiences, thoughts and feelings through a combination of conversation, art-making, and reflection. What this combination will look like, this will be up to you.
We begin by taking a moment to arrive, with a gentle check-in to notice what’s present for you that day. Sometimes this involves talking; other times it means sitting with what feels difficult to put into words. Art materials are available as an invitation rather than a demand — you may choose to draw, paint, build, or simply explore, allowing images or marks to emerge naturally, without pressure to create anything finished or “good.”
Time is set aside to reflect together on the process and what emerged, helping to build understanding, emotional awareness, and insight. Some sessions involve more talking, others more art-making — and sometimes neither.
As we look together at what has emerged, space is made for reflection, curiosity, and meaning-making. Words can come alongside the artwork, or not at all. Each session unfolds differently, shaped by your needs, offering a supportive place to slow down, feel held, and gently deepen understanding.
