🌿 Why Combine Art Therapy and Counselling?

At Inspired Art Therapy & Counselling, I offer a unique blend of art therapy and counselling — a gentle, evidence-based approach that supports both emotional insight and creative expression.

Some people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, unsure of where to start, or simply “stuck.” Others find it hard to express themselves through words alone. By combining counselling with art therapy, we create a flexible space where you can talk when you're ready, create when words are too much and explore your experiences in ways that feel safe and empowering.

Counselling helps you reflect, make sense of your story and develop tools to manage stress, anxiety, trauma or life changes. Art therapy invites your creative self to express feelings, explore patterns and engage with deeper parts of your inner world — without needing to “explain” everything.

Together, these approaches support:

• emotional regulation and grounding
• trauma recovery and nervous system healing
• self-awareness, identity and self-acceptance
• communication and connection (especially when words are difficult)
• creative problem-solving and empowerment

You don’t need to be good at art — this is about process, not product. Each session is guided by what feels right for you in the moment. Whether we’re talking, painting, drawing or simply sitting with what’s present, you are always in control of your own healing 

🌿 How Art Therapy & Counselling Supports Trauma and Neurodivergence.

Art therapy offers a deeply supportive pathway for people living with trauma and neurodivergence by providing a creative, non-verbal way to explore and express experiences that may be difficult to articulate with words.

For those healing from trauma, art can bypass the need for detailed storytelling, allowing emotions and memories to surface safely through image, colour and form. Because trauma often lives in the body and nervous system, engaging in tactile, repetitive, or sensory art-making can help regulate the nervous system, restore a sense of safety and gently access parts of the self that may feel fragmented or stuck. Creating art can also foster a sense of agency and choice, which is especially important for those who have experienced powerlessness.

For neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism or ADHD, art therapy offers a flexible and affirming space to process emotions, reduce sensory overwhelm and communicate in ways that feel more natural and comfortable. It embraces different ways of thinking, sensing and being — honouring visual, hands-on, or symbolic expression over verbal demands. Through creative exploration, clients can build emotional literacy, develop self-awareness and celebrate their unique identities in a space free from judgement.

Whether used for healing, regulation, expression or empowerment, art therapy & counselling by itself or combined can offers a gentle and effective bridge between mind, body and emotion — helping people reconnect with themselves and the world around them in their own time and in their own way.

🌿 The Transformative Effects 

What are the transformative effects of Art Therapy & Counselling for individuals:

• Emotional Regulation – Supports nervous system calming and stress reduction.

• Safe Expression – Enables non-verbal processing of overwhelming or suppressed emotions.

• Trauma Integration – Helps make sense of past experiences in a safe, contained way.

• Sensory Regulation – Offers grounding through tactile and visual engagement.

• Identity & Self-Awareness – Fosters self-discovery, agency and a stronger sense of self.

• Attachment Repair – Builds trust and relational safety through the therapeutic alliance.

• Cognitive Flexibility – Encourages new perspectives and creative problem-solving.

• Confidence & Mastery – Boosts self-esteem through the creation of meaningful work.

• Routine & Safety – Creates structure and predictability that supports healing.

• Empowerment – Reframes the client as the expert of their own experience.

I'm so confident in the transformative power of our programs, which is why we offer a satisfaction guarantee. If you don’t feel more balanced and supported after your six  sessions, we’ll provide an additional session free of charge. I'll journey with you and meet you on the other side of wellness. 

ABOUT ME:

I believe that healing happens in safe, creative spaces — where we are seen, not judged and gently supported to reconnect with ourselves and our deeper sense of meaning.

My work is grounded in the belief that we all carry inner wisdom — even when we feel lost, overwhelmed or broken. Sometimes words aren’t enough, and that’s where art, imagination and embodied presence can offer something deeper. I’m here to walk alongside you, helping you make sense of your story, express what’s hard to put into words and move toward a life that feels more connected, calm and true to who you are.

I am a passionate advocate for women’s mental health, especially in the areas of trauma recovery, postnatal wellbeing and navigating life transitions. I also wholeheartedly embrace and support men’s mental health and healing, creating spaces where emotional vulnerability is welcome and strength is redefined through connection, self-awareness and resilience.

I welcome and affirm LGBTQIA+ clients. I honour diverse identities and experiences and I strive to create spaces where all people feel safe, respected and supported in their healing — just as they are.

I honour the deep cultural and spiritual dimensions of healing — especially the wisdom of First Nations peoples who understand wellbeing as a connection to Country, community, culture, spirit and self. I strive to work in ways that are trauma-aware, culturally responsive and grounded in respect for Indigenous knowledge systems.

This work is not about fixing — it’s about remembering, reclaiming and reconnecting to our authentic selves in a gentle and supportive way.

I’m deeply honoured to walk beside those who invite me into their healing journey.