What is Creative Arts Therapy?

We believe that creative expression in any form can support therapeutic exploration and growth. While much of our training is rooted in music therapy, our practitioners are recognised as arts psychotherapists and often draw on a range of creative mediums in their work. Different forms of expression can help clients communicate experiences that may be difficult to put into words.

In sessions we may use simple visual tools such as sketching, mind maps, or family trees to explore relationships, patterns and thoughts. These forms of visualisation can support reflection and may naturally lead into other creative outlets, such as songwriting, music-making, storytelling or other artistic processes. Creative forms often overlap and evolve throughout the course of therapy.

The choice of medium is always guided by the client, although the therapist may offer suggestions to support the process. The therapy space becomes a place to experiment, where thoughts and feelings can move from the mind into creative form - whether through drawing, music, writing, conversation or other imaginative practices.

Creative arts therapy is not about artistic skill or producing finished work. The value lies in the process itself. By engaging creatively, clients can explore their inner world, develop insight and begin to work through the challenges they face, with the therapist acting as a supportive guide throughout the journey.

Creative methods available within sessions may include:

Music making and recording
Mandala creation (inspired by the work of Carl Jung)
Blackboard sketching and visual mapping
Free-flowing art and drawing
Stop-frame animation
Video creation
Creative writing
Poetry