Creative psychotherapy
Art Psychotherapy
Art psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy, delivered by an HCPC-registered art psychotherapist, that uses image-making and other creative materials alongside talking to help you explore and process feelings and experiences that can be hard to put into words.
Often we have no words for what we have been through. Art-making is an embodied experience, and it can help in many ways: from bilateral drawing to reprocess traumatic memories, to making visible the parts of us we are not yet aware of.
There is no need to be good at art, or even interested in it, for image-making to be a powerful way of communicating in therapy. There is no expectation to make anything at all, and much of our work can simply be talking. It is always your choice. Art psychotherapy is my core profession and the training my whole practice grew from.
Who it can help
- Neurodivergent adults, including autistic and ADHD adults, who find that images and materials can say what words alone cannot
- Times when you feel numb or cut off, or cannot quite name what you are feeling (sometimes called alexithymia)
- Trauma that lives in the body more than in words, including nightmares, flashbacks, and a nervous system that feels stuck on high alert
- Depression, hopelessness, and a loss of interest or pleasure in things that once mattered
- Anxiety, social anxiety, and shame or self-loathing that can be hard to speak about directly
- Living with chronic pain, chronic health conditions, or loss, where making something can hold what is difficult to say
What a session is like
We begin with a free 20-minute conversation so you can get a feel for working with me, with no pressure to decide anything. In sessions themselves there is no set way to work. Some people like to talk while their hands are busy with materials; others make something first and we reflect on it together afterwards; many sessions involve no art-making at all. Simple materials are there if you want them, such as paper, pencils, paint, or clay, and you never need any skill or experience to use them.
What we make is not judged or analysed as good or bad. It is a starting point for noticing, curiosity, and understanding, at a pace that feels safe for you. Art psychotherapy is mainly offered in person near Ashburton, where having the materials and physical space together supports the work. Adapted creative work is also possible online, and we can talk through what that might look like for you.
The evidence
Art psychotherapy is a regulated health profession in the United Kingdom. The titles ‘art therapist’ and ‘art psychotherapist’ are protected by law, and only practitioners registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) may use them. Practitioners train to master’s level and work to the HCPC standards of proficiency and the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) Code of Ethics. I hold an MA in Art Psychotherapy, am HCPC registered (AS15645), and am a member of BAAT.
British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT): ‘Art therapist’ as a protected title
Art psychotherapy is offered mainly in person near Ashburton, Devon, where the materials and shared space support the work, with adapted creative work also available online across the UK and internationally.
Common questions
Do I need to be good at art?
No. You need no skill, experience, or interest in art at all. The materials are simply another way of communicating, and many people who say they cannot draw find them freeing rather than daunting. Art-making is always optional, and some people never use the materials.
What if I don’t want to make any art?
That is completely fine. There is no expectation to make anything, and much of our work can simply be talking. The materials are there if and when you want them, and it is always your choice.
Is art psychotherapy helpful for autistic or ADHD adults?
Many neurodivergent adults find that images and materials help them express things that words alone can miss, especially when it is hard to name a feeling (sometimes called alexithymia). We work at your pace and in the way that suits you, and I have experience supporting neurodivergent clients.
Is art therapy a recognised profession?
Yes. In the UK it is regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and ‘art psychotherapist’ is a protected title that only registered practitioners may use. I hold an MA in Art Psychotherapy, am HCPC registered, and am a member of BAAT. It is my core profession.
Can we do art psychotherapy online?
Art psychotherapy is mainly offered in person near Ashburton, where sharing the materials and space supports the work. Adapted creative work is possible online too, and we can talk through what would work best for you before we begin.
The first step
A free 20-minute conversation
It’s very hard to tell from reading a website! I offer a free introductory 20-minute conversation so we can meet, and you can see how it feels to talk with me.