Individual art therapy

Individually tailored art therapy to meet you where you are and support you in moving to where you want to go. We offer an empathetic and empowering space to safely explore, express and work through emotional struggles, mental health concerns, relationship difficulties, setbacks to goals and dreams, and other life challenges.

Sessions are collaborative, trauma-informed, and whole person focused. Through the creative process of meaning making, new insights and strategies for navigating real-world complexities are discovered, ever connecting the worlds between who you are and who you would like to be. Your story is unique and we are committed to walking with you through life’s messy and imperfect moments, so that lasting change may happen and you can emerge stronger on the other side.

We provide this service to adolescents (15+ years) and adults. Sessions can be privately paid or funded through NDIS (self or plan-managed) and Victims of Crime FAS in Victoria.

FAQS

  • Art therapy is a gentle yet powerful therapeutic mode that can benefit anyone willing to embrace the creative process. It can be an effective form of psychotherapy for those who find it challenging to verbalise their experiences, who do not enjoy talking, who feel that the complexity of their lived experiences cannot be easily expressed or captured by diagnostic labels, and/or for whom traditional talk therapies have not been helpful.

  • Sessions have the potential to support a broad range of experiences, including but not limited to:

    • Stress, anxiety, hopelessness and depression

    • Feeling irritable, reactive or short-tempered

    • Trauma and dissociation

    • Grief and loss

    • Relationship challenges with partners, family members, friends or co-workers

    • Culture and sense of belonging challenges – e.g., due to migration, growing up in different countries, international schooling, or diverse family backgrounds

    • Perfectionism, critical self-talk, confidence and self-worth struggles

    • Identity and existential life questions – Who am I? What’s my purpose?

    • Life transitions and changes

    • Academic pressures

    • Sexuality and gender

    • Neurodiverse experiences including ADHD, ASD, dyslexia and sensory overwhelm

    • Chronic pain and life-threatening illnesses.

  • Not at all – no artistic skills, knowledge or prior experience are required in order to participate in individual art therapy. We believe that the act of creating is what forms the therapeutic process of healing and recovery, not the outcome, aesthetics, or technical aspects of the final expression. There is also immense value in approaching sessions with a beginner’s mind, setting aside any preconceived notions of what art needs to be and how it should look like, so that the creative process can truly reflect your experience and the wisdom it holds.

  • We acknowledge and celebrate every individual’s unique way of processing and engaging with the world. The creative process of art making looks different for everyone, and there is no right or wrong way to express ourselves.

    All forms of creative expression are valued and sessions will adapt the creative process to meet your needs and comfort level. Sessions often encourage working with different materials and mediums to support you in accessing your authentically felt lived experience. This may include drawing, painting, photography, working with clay, creating a collage, engaging movement, responding to music, or any combination of creative modes that hold your curiosity.

  • In-person sessions:
    Delivered at our practice located at Level 1, 177-179 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville VIC 3777 (map).

    Online sessions:
    Delivered via secure telehealth video, Australia-wide.

  • In-person sessions:

    We provide all materials, but you are welcome to bring in anything that would personally support you in sessions. This could be your own art supplies, or something you’ve been working on outside of sessions that relate to what you’re exploring with us. There may be occasions where we invite you to bring an item from home in service of your sessions, but we will always discuss this with you first without any expectation or pressure to say yes.

    Online sessions:

    To attend sessions online, you will need:

    • A quiet, comfortable and private space away from distractions, where you can talk and create freely;

    • A fully charged or plugged-in device with camera, microphone and speaker functionality (e.g., computer, tablet);

    • A stable internet connection to access your secure telehealth video conferencing link;

    • Basic art materials – we can work with what you have on hand, so feel free to get creative with what’s available to you. Paper, pens, pencils and pastels can be a great place to start. If needed, we can provide a suggested list of materials before your first session.

  • Private clients: $175 per session for 60 minutes total, structured as 50 minutes of direct consultation and 10 minutes following for session documentation.

    NDIS clients: $193.99 per hour in line with NDIA Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits guidelines. Sessions are billed as a total of 1 hour per session (50 minutes of direct consultation and 10 minutes following for session documentation).

    Victims of Crime FAS clients: $175 per hour in line with the Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) payment schedule for counselling assistance. Sessions are billed as a total of 1 hour per session (50 minutes of direct consultation and 10 minutes following for session documentation).