4 things I love about being an art therapist.
1) I work with people who are experiencing some extreme difficulties and connect with and support them in a profound way.
It feels an honour for me to be invited into someone’s world and when a client (child or adolescent or an adult) is able to share part of their life with me through talking or making images about their thoughts, feelings and experiences it feels very special.
It feels extremely rewarding to witness a client grow and develop, process experiences and become more insightful and I love that this is not necessarily a linear process.
2) Art and creativity is constantly part of my life.
I love that I have art as a means of working and would be almost lost without it.
Not only is it essential to the work and helpful in art therapy in so many ways but it also helps me to express myself.
Being an art therapist reminds me that my own art doesn’t need to be perfect and not everything needs to be monetised or have a particular intention.
3) Reflecting with people
I love being able to draw upon visualisation, use of images and objects and everyday situations to talk about symbols and metaphors and help people to consider ways to express themselves and ways to look at internal and external worlds differently.
I find it super fun to talk with people in this way and really enjoy getting together with other therapists and like-minded people to reflect in an open way.
4) Integrating other therapeutic interventions and theoretical models into the work and continuing to attend training and to learn allows me to keep myself on my toes.
It also allows me to work with a client in the most effective way to meet their needs. I love that the different modalities that I’m trained in can complement rather than contrast.