Learn how creative practices like symbolic drawing, journey mapping, and visual journaling can support deep, ongoing integration after psychedelic therapy.

Explore current psilocybin research, integration therapy, and the role of art therapy in healing mood disorders plus ethical reflections on training.

Between 2008 and 2012, I facilitated a creative support program for young mothers in Albany, Western Australia. This professional reflection explores the origins of the program, the clinical relevance of arts-based approaches for teenage parents, and how this formative experience helped shape my integrative approach to mental health practice. Drawing on current research and lived experience, the post highlights the enduring value of accessible, creative interventions in early parenting support.

Can creativity and structured therapy coexist in psychological treatment? This article explores why cognitive and creative therapies aren’t in conflict they’re deeply complementary. Drawing on Padesky’s “old world/new world” model, dual coding theory, and decades of clinical experience, it unpacks the clinical validity of creative processes and explains how they enhance insight, regulation, and change. A thoughtful piece for clients, clinicians, and anyone curious about the therapeutic power of imagination.

Art therapy supports emotional integration and recovery following ketamine treatment by helping individuals process altered states through creative expression. Learn how these practices can sustain wellbeing.

Art journaling supports mental health by encouraging creative self-expression, stress relief, and personal reflection. Download our free mini guide to start your own practice today.

Explore how visual art processes can enhance schema therapy’s experiential methods. Learn how drawing, collage, and imagery can access emotion and reshape core schemas.

Creative engagement and art therapy in outdoor settings offer meaningful ways to reflect, express, and find emotional support. This guide shares accessible, grounded tips for using nature as a therapeutic space.

Chronic pain is more than just a physical sensation, it seeps into emotions, thoughts, and the fabric of daily life. Traditional approaches to pain management tend to focus on medication or physical interventions, but there is growing recognition of the benefits of a more integrative mind-body approach. Psychological and creative therapies offer relief, not simply by reducing pain but by transforming the way individuals experience it. Among these, Art Therapy (AT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are particularly powerful tools. Together, they provide a way not only to cope with pain but to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life despite it.

This article is Part II of a two-part series on pain and art therapy, following Art Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Pain Management. Weaving, has a rhythm to it, something steady, predictable, and calming. The repetition of movement is almost meditative, gently nudging the mind away from pain and into a more peaceful state.

As AI continues to evolve, its applications in therapeutic settings will too. These tools hold promise as a way to complement and enhance existing therapies. With thoughtful guidance and a focus on individual strengths, AI can help make healing more accessible, meaningful, and empowering.

When recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the mostly widely used intervention, but for some people, talk therapy can feel overwhelming—especially when cognitive fatigue, memory challenges, and emotional frustration are part of the picture. Could creative expression help?

While trauma-focussed cognitive behavioural therapies (TF-CBTs) are gold standard for treating PTSD, I'm really curious about the integration of art therapy with TF-CBTs. Particularly as a way to overcome the early and significant drop out from TF-CBTs.

Mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder, often involve intense and persistent emotional highs and lows that can feel impossible to control. DBT-informed art therapy offers a way to channel those intense feelings into something creative and therapeutic.

In 2019, I facilitated an expressive journaling group at the WA AIDS Council (WAAC) for people living with HIV. While art-making was central, what stood out was the connection, laughter, and shared strength that emerged each week. This blog reflects on the value of creative spaces in chronic illness support, where humour, expression, and peer understanding matter just as much as the page itself.

While tolerance to stress is individual, situations such as Lockdown can be challenging for most of us. There are lots of effective ways to relieve stress, exercise, yoga, music, and time outdoors, all offer stress-relieving potential. But arts and crafts offer some unique advantages and engaging in creative self-expression, is a powerful mindfulness tool.