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A Fusion Of Art Therapy And Counselling
—Nominated for SA Community Achievement Award, Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation, Mental Social & Emotional well being 2019
Alter the narrative through art to manage your pain
“Pain is invisible, even on an x-ray. When the pain persists longer than we
think it should, it may make us feel that the diagnosis and treatment might
indicate something worse. This uncertainty can lead to chronic conditions.
By drawing what your pain looks like under the guidance of Diana, you may
gain deeper insights and develop personalized strategies that empower you
to live a more fulfilling and balanced life.”
“Diana brings a unique blend of lived experience and professional qualifications in rehabilitation counselling to her practice, having also studied art psychotherapy and Neurographic art. Having successfully run previous workshops, she has recently introduced Neurographic art as a powerful tool in her sessions. Her goal is to help you understand how the brain perceives pain and to equip you with innovative strategies to manage it. Together, you will explore how art therapy and counselling can transform your experience and empower you to take control of your life.
“Diana is committed to helping you regain control of your life by teaching you effective skills to manage your pain. “She is passionate about creating a supportive community where you can connect and grow together. In addition to her workshops, she would love to introduce a walking group that is not fast paced, allowing everyone to participate comfortably. She can also organise movie groups, visit to art galleries and enjoy coffee at local cafes to help everyone reintegrate into society and build meaningful connections. Let’s work together to create a nurturing environment where we can support each other on our journeys.”
Diana has been working in the disability area for over 25 years, and is currently an NDIS provider of art therapy and individual counselling. She has worked in the Work Cover area, and is on the National Panel of Assessors, assessing the support required for people with mental health or physical barriers to maintain their employment. She is a member of ASORC (Australian society of rehabilitation counsellors), and the European Federation of Pain Academy.
Diana is a writer who has contributed to “The Eighteen point Five’ book. Stories about 25 people with a disability and their progress to a better life. For those interested in writing, organising a writing group may be something you’re interested in.
The goal is to help you to gain an understanding of pain, learn to manage it, reduce your anxiety and support you to socialise again with confidence. Group Workshops and 1:1 are available / zoom meetings.
EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to empower individuals living with chronic pain through the transformative power of art. We provide a compassionate and supportive environment where creativity becomes a pathway to healing, self-expression, and emotional resilience. Through personalised art therapy sessions, we aim to reduce pain perception, enhance well-being, and foster a sense of community and understanding.
– Albert Einstein, The World As I See It
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy is a way of processing your thoughts … and a way to explore your feelings.
Rather than just using words, with Art Therapy you can get in touch with that part of you that often feels edited or restrained by others. Art Therapy allows you to express yourself in a way that is neither right nor wrong, and in a way that is defines you on your own terms.
So how does it work?
Art Therapy is a process which seems to tap into the brain to extract the connections between thoughts and feelings in a way that words cannot.
As children, we learn by watching and copying and largely by expressing ourselves through movement and art, such as the drawings we did at school… I remember a drawing I did at aged five, and still have tucked away in our house… it had a blue strip at the top of the page for sky and a green strip of green at the bottom of the page for grass…and my house looked nothing like our house, but to me it was our home, and I could talk about what was inside, the rooms we had, and the dog and cat we had as pets. So my drawings were a way for me to express myself to others about my life and where I lived…and it created certain feelings I had at the time.
Art Therapy is similar in that it provides a way for you to express yourself about issues that may be bothering you, and your art work may not look anything like the thing you are talking about, but it will provide a starting point for you. I highly recommend it.
Not at all. The art work you do, and the discussions we have, is more to do with the process of the art work, than the art work itself. For example, I may get you to work with water-colour paints, oil pastels, mosaics, charcoal, clay etc. but it will be the psychological value of working with these materials, that will assist you, and not the piece of finished art at the end.
Although that will also be a part of the process.
Just as life is about the process, so too, is the art work.
Sometimes a different approach to a problem, can help us to find different solutions. People who have used Art Therapies, often say they felt more relaxed about discussing their problem, and were surprised at the process and what it revealed about them which allowed them to move forward.
Who can use this?
People of all ages; people with disabilities (acquired or from birth, physical or
psychological); all cultures, groups or individuals etc.
Just as life is about the process, so too, is the art work.