Art therapy uses various creative means, such as drawing, painting, clay work, sculpture building, sand tray and sewing, within a therapeutic relationship. It is a means of expressing ourselves and exploring our emotions and issues, in a way that is not necessarily verbal.

This way of working can be extremely beneficial for:
• Young people
• Those who find it difficult to talk about emotions
• People who have experienced grief or trauma
• Creative people
• Those interested in working on a deep, intuitive level
• People who feel a bit stuck, or who have found that talking about their issue has not helped

Art therapy taps into our subconscious.  It reveals parts of ourselves we may be unaware of; and has the ability to provide us with answers that our cognitive processes – our thoughts – could not.

You don’t have to be good at art to do Art therapy. It is not actually about producing an ‘art work’ as such. Art therapy is about the process – it is about getting your thoughts and feelings out, so that you may see them from a different perspective. If, for example, you felt ugly and small, something that reflects those feelings is what would appear on your paper; if you felt peaceful and calm, that would emerge in some tangible form in the work you produced. It is not about the end product, but rather, the process of expressing yourself and the meaning you make of that, in communication with the therapist.

At the moment, two of my colleagues and I are running Art therapy workshops for women in Mundaring; and I will be offering Art therapy workshops in Fremantle later in the year.

If you would like more information about Art Therapy, or to book an appointment with me, or to reserve a place in the next Art Therapy Workshop Series, please contact me.
Phone: 0439 995 302
Email: toni@tonijacksoncounselling.com

Toni Jackson is a compassionate, creative and experienced Counsellor and Psychotherapist in Perth, Fremantle and Mundaring, Western Australia. She has worked over the past 20 years in the areas of women and adolescent mental health and wellbeing, counselling adults, adolescents, children and families from many different backgrounds. Toni uses counselling, psychotherapy, art therapy (such as drawing, painting, sand play, clay modelling and sewing), mindfulness and cognitive behaviour therapy to support her clients’ unique needs. Toni specialises in working with women who are experiencing anxiety, stress or depression; and young people struggling with anxiety, self esteem or self identity.
Toni’s qualifications include a BA Psychology, Grad Dip Women’s Studies and accreditation as a Psychotherapist (GT).