Hello, I have been practicing as a qualified art therapist for the past eighteen years. I see art therapy as a form of treatment that is designed to enable a healing process to bring about a favourable change within an individual's life. Importantly, the work in the sessions is not judged and the client is given the space to present things from his/her own point of view and to work at his/her own pace. The focus is on the artwork as a means of communicating the difficulties, rather than solely the difficulties themselves, thus facilitating this form of self-expression and communication. The images are not judged on artistic merit but are seen as possessing potential meaning, such as thoughts, dreams, memories and feelings etc.

Of course, it is fine to talk too and the client is free to make use of the time in each session as they wish.

As an art therapist, I use a psychodynamic model, working with the 'transference' (of feelings) and 'countertransference' dynamics of the therapeutic relationship. The word 'psychodynamic' describes the unconscious (psyche) and that it affects how we function (dynamic).

Art Therapy began in the 1940's. An artist called Adrian Hill noted the beneficial effects of painting whilst recovering from tuberculosis and he then went on to work with other sufferers to aid their recovery.

Nowadays, art therapists are State Registered professionals who have undertaken a recognised post graduate (master's degree) training course.