What is Counselling?
Counselling is a service for people who are experiencing either specific problems in their lives, or who feel stuck, at a crossroads or general unhappiness, and who want help in looking for the way forward. Many factors in today's world can knock us off balance. Life events such as loss or change, illness or difficulties with relationships can affect us deeply, and at times it's really helpful to have someone to go to outside of our immediate family who is skilled in actively listening and helping us resolve and restore our sense of self-confidence and equilibrium. This is when counselling can help. It is a confidential service and the counseller should be someone you feel you can trust to support you in expressing your feelings and doing what is 'right' for you.
I am trained by Relate in counselling skills, not just with individuals but
also with people in relationships.
What is Integrative Arts Psychotherapy?
Integrative Arts Psychotherapy (I.A.P.)is a unique approach because it combines all the skills of psychotherapy with the added potential of not just one form of art but a whole range of art media which offers you ,the client more than just a verbal form of communication which can often be rather lifeless and end up going round in circles! The arts provide the chance for you to explore your inner world in concrete, symbolic and non-verbal modes of communication which is seen to promote deeper awareness, insight and motivation for change.Once you have got something out on paper for instance you can literally get more of a handle on it!
'Integrative' also refers to the theory behind the practice. A variety of major theoretical concepts act both as reference points and as inspiration for creative ways of responding to your individual needs. The main theoretical sources I look to are Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, Psychoanalytical theory and up-to-date research findings in the field of Neurobiology. All of which adds up to a predominantly Humanistic approach, the emphasis being on facilitating each individual in finding their own potential for healing and choosing their way forward.
Why a multi-arts approach?
We experience the world through all our senses, not just one so why limit therapy to one art form when there are many, each of which provide a different language for human experience and can contribute significantly to the creative growth of an individual.Besides which you may hate the idea of getting your hands 'dirty' with clay but really be attracted to getting in touch with your inner world in the sandtray.All imagery is a powerful conveyor of meaning.
Do you have to be to be 'good' at art in order to do this form of therapy?
No, definitely not.This is not a requisite for this way of working and indeed it is central to the belief system of I.A.P. that everyone can be creative given a non-judgemental opportunity to express themselves through the arts.
