What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy, also known as Expressive or Creative Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy counselling that helps you through self-expression using a variety of different art materials for reflection and healing. It is a clinically proven therapy method for dealing with stress levels and helping those who have experienced trauma to find emotional balance.
The process is a creative approach to exploring how you feel or think about certain things. It allows you to learn more about yourself, make meaning of your experiences and use what you learn to create life-enhancing positive change.
What is good to remember is that this process does not have a right or wrong way – only a path that is revealed as you begin to explore your thoughts and feelings.
Your art therapist acts as a companion and observer, offering different art therapy processes and tools which will provide you with guided sessions to bring about awareness, understanding and potential choice for change.
What to expect in an art therapy session with Karin Mead
Each art therapy session is a guided session of enquiry using different art mediums, like pencils and paints to explore using creative expression, your imagination, metaphor and images. These can lead to new perspectives and solve problems in new ways. There is no artistic talent or experience required, just you and your thoughts. The focus is always on the process, not on the outcome.
“As your Art Therapist, I will be your guide, observing what is occurring through your artmaking, body language and listening to the words you use. When we discuss your creative output, I note my observations and help you explore whether they have any bearing on the issues that brought you to therapy. This process gives you room to explore with a helpful guide to help you make sense of thoughts, feelings and past experiences.
The goal is to help you find peace of mind, with tools to apply in your everyday life.” - Karin Mead
The first session
As part of the first session, we will ask you to provide some information about yourself. These will be questions designed to help us ensure we understand your needs, what you would like to achieve with the art therapy sessions, your experiences and triggers. We can then craft the psychotherapy counselling session to you.
This initial session will also set therapeutic goals or your NDIS goals and how you might like to achieve them. This can be done through art work or even talking, it is up to you.
It is also about exploring whether this therapy is the right “fit” for you in a gentle and safe space.
Note for parents: If you child is under 16, we will include you in the important process.
Quick questions about Art Therapy answered
I’m not good at Art, does that matter?
No! It’s not about the finished artwork but the process of making the art that helps you on a journey to mental well-being.
What type of problems does an Art Therapist help with?
While not exhaustive, Karin Mead Art Therapy specialises in helping those struggling with:
A range of feelings around stress, anxiety and depression
Phobias or panic attacks
Nightmares or flashbacks of disturbing past events
Unhelpful behaviors that you find hard to control, whether you
Low self-worth and negative self-talk, self-loathing and inability to self-soothe and find a state of peace with your self
Difficulty sleeping or suffering from diagnosed insomnia
A sense of hopelessness, loss of meaning or direction
Autism.
