Professional Reflection: Mums the Word (2008–2012)
Creative engagement and early intervention with young mothers
Between 2008 and 2012, I facilitated a community-based expressive arts program titled Mums the Word, delivered through the Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre at Albany Family House in Western Australia. The program offered several group sessions per week for young mothers aged 14 to 24, many of whom were socially isolated, parenting without consistent family or partner support, or navigating complex psychosocial factors.
The program was initiated by the Department for Child Protection as part of its Best Beginnings initiative. At the time, I was not yet registered as a psychologist. My involvement was shaped by lived experience of postnatal anxiety and depression, which had led me to engage with creative expression as part of my own recovery process. I was engaged to design and deliver an arts-based format to enhance participation among the target group, provide meaningful psychosocial support for young mothers in the local community, and explore the potential of creative processes to support emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and identity development during the perinatal period.
Sessions were structured around accessible, low-cost art materials and simple creative tasks such as collage, sewing, journaling, and mixed media activities. Infants were welcomed into the space, allowing mothers to participate without needing to arrange separate childcare. The format was intentionally flexible and strengths-based, with no expectation of artistic skill or verbal disclosure. The emphasis was on process rather than product, and participation was entirely voluntary.
Reflecting on the program through a clinical lens, Mums the Word functioned as an informal early intervention for a high-risk population. Teenage mothers are known to be at increased risk of mental health challenges, reduced social support, and disengagement from education and employment pathways (Letourneau et al., 2013; Mollborn & Dennis, 2012). Group-based, arts-informed interventions have demonstrated efficacy in reducing maternal distress, increasing parenting confidence, and fostering peer connection in similar populations (Hussein, 2020; Raw & Lewis, 2011).
Although the program was not formally evaluated, observational data and informal feedback indicated several consistent outcomes. Participants reported reduced feelings of isolation, increased self-confidence, and a sense of belonging that extended beyond the sessions. Over time, some mothers took on informal peer support roles within the group, further strengthening its protective function. These outcomes are consistent with evidence that participation in creative community programs can increase perceived social support and contribute to maternal wellbeing (Thomson et al., 2020).
The experience of designing and facilitating Mums the Word had a significant impact on my professional development. It provided an applied context in which to observe how creativity could function as a regulatory and relational tool, particularly for individuals navigating identity shifts, trauma histories, or role overload. This experience informed my later work as a psychologist, where I continue to integrate creative and nature-based approaches alongside structured interventions such as CBT, ACT, and Schema Therapy.
In a recent blog post, I reflected on the integration of cognitive and creative modalities, noting that “creative processes are inherently cognitive; they provide a framework for restructuring, visualising, and processing emotional experience in a way that aligns with therapeutic change” (read here). My early experience with Mums the Word gave shape to that insight. It reinforced the value of low-barrier, culturally safe, and developmentally appropriate approaches to mental health support, and confirmed that creativity, when offered with intention and structure, can be an effective therapeutic adjunct.
References:
Hussein, A. (2020). Arts-based interventions for perinatal mental health: A review of practice and evidence. Arts & Health, 12(1), 5–20.
Letourneau, N. L., Stewart, M. J., & Barnfather, A. K. (2013). Adolescent mothers: Support needs, resources, and support-education interventions. Journal of Adolescent Health, 33(1), 95–103.
Mollborn, S., & Dennis, J. A. (2012). Investigating the life situations and development of teenage mothers’ children. Sociology Compass, 6(2), 141–152.
Raw, A., & Lewis, S. (2011). A therapeutic community arts programme for marginalised mothers with complex needs: How factors of space, place and connection shape outcomes. Arts & Health, 3(2), 117–130.
Thomson, L. J., Camic, P. M., & Chatterjee, H. J. (2020). Social prescribing and arts engagement for mental health and wellbeing: Findings from a qualitative study. Arts & Health, 12(1), 51–66.