The Potting Shed

As a qualified BACP art counsellor, I offer one-to-one and group counselling sessions for children and adults.  

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​​​​​​​​"Art can permeate the very deepest part of us, where no words exist.”

– Eileen Miller

 

It's a misconception that you have to be "good at art" to access art counselling but it may help if you have an interest or enjoy it.  Therapeutic art is all about expression, not the "perfect finished picture".  Art allows image-making to become a therapeutic process that can help improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  It is a way to express and process thoughts and feelings that are difficult to verbalize for everyone. Children especially those with limited language can often explain things more effectively with an image.  Talking therapies can be quite "thought" intensive and introducing a creative process through painting, drawing or sculpting can allow space to process at one's own pace and access feelings deep within the body and mind. 

 

Art can allow us to see a situation from another perspective.  For example, physically leaving the artwork at the end of the session can aid the idea of distance and relieve the negative thinking cycle.  Altering a painting can enforce the possibility of change or ripping and tearing up a drawing of a memory can be an emotional release.  These are just some examples of the benefits that art therapy can bring.

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Working creatively in a group can allow a shared sense of enjoyment and community and help communicate a deeper meaning of the experience.  Art can bring purpose to a social interaction that some find difficult.

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As a practising artist, I also run art workshops and offer individual art tuition.  I hope to introduce not just the technical skills but also a deeper and more heartfelt appreciation of the subject.