Art Therapy

Hi, I’m Alana, a HCPC registered Art Psychotherapist //

Pencils, paints and daydreaming can be scary. They can be messy and bold and often someone somewhere has told us we’re no good, or to stop doodling or to get our head out of the clouds. But Art Therapy knows that imagination has real world applications. Imagination is the place where possibility exists, crucial for those times when things starts to feel a bit impossible. Healing often comes when we can hope and dream. The art itself offers a visible place for our thoughts, feelings and problems to go. The things we think are often more workable and manageable when they exist somewhere outside our heads. By manipulating the art materials, people are given a more tangible means to manipulate, communicate and take control of their story.

My role is to help facilitate this, creating a safe and supportive environment in which people feel free to be themselves. I hope that with empathy, compassion and a ready and listening ear I can create this place for everyone I see. Using a psychodynamic and humanistic approach I work to support self-discovery, co-creating an arena for reflection that helps with the what’s and the why’s and allows us to work towards the ‘what nows?’. So far I have worked with people from the ages of 5 all the way to 92, creating a different place for each of them and their art. Somewhere bespoke for them and their needs.

I gained my qualification at Ulster University on completion of an Art Psychotherapy MSc. There I compounded my learning in a dissertation entitled “Found Objects: Exploring How Adding Found Objects to the Art Therapy Table Could Benefit Children Who Have Experienced Trauma.”

My current role is as an NHS employed Art Psychotherapist, working with children and young people in a multi-disciplinary eating disorder service. My previous practical experience lies in:

-Suicide prevention, where I provided one-to-one Art Psychotherapy for children and adults.

-Dementia Care, where I delivered group Art Psychotherapy sessions within a residential care setting.

-Work with Autistic children and young people, where I both facilitated a short term programme with a focus on social interaction and self-regulation and then worked in learning support on a one to one basis.

-Work with children and young people in care, where I co-facilitated Art Therapy workshops and events aimed at enhancing autonomy, confidence and connection with others.

// Some examples of my own reflective art making //