Explore Mindfulness and Creativity at the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat
Allied health professionals, creative arts therapists, and educators are often looking for ways to enhance our practice with innovative approaches that promote mindfulness and relaxation for children and families.
The 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat invites you to discover transformative methods to incorporate into your work. This year, we are delighted to bring you “Time to Rest: Meditation Creations” led by the experienced Anna Kilpatrick. As an early Childhood Educator and registered Yoga Teacher with a special focus on Yoga Nidra for both adults and children, Anna blends her expertise in mindfulness with playful creative processes to provide unique experiences that nurture rejuvenation and connection.
Image: Anna prepares to facilitate a guided deep relaxation session.
In this workshop Anna facilitates an engaging 30-minute deep relaxation session. You will be gently guided to a potentially blissful space where waking and sleeping consciousness intertwine. This restorative practice allows participants to unwind and rejuvenate, crucial for those working in high-demand environments, especially with children and families.
Participants will have the opportunity to create their own comfy resting spaces using yoga mats, pillows, and blankets—ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for relaxation and creativity. Wear comfortable clothing, and even feel free to come in your pajamas!
Following this immersive experience, Anna will lead you into a Peaceful Play with Watercolours or a Meditative Play with Clay, with all art supplies included. Anna’s workshop is tailored for professionals seeking to integrate guided rest, storybook reading, and art into their practice – especially with parents and children. You’ll walk away equipped with inspiration and ideas to foster creativity and emotional well-being among the families you serve.
We are delighted to welcome Anna as a facilitator at the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat.
Image: Anna surrounded by happy people who have just enjoyed one of her workshops integrating mindfulness and peaceful creativity.
Introducing Anna Kilpatrick
Anna is dedicated to teaching mindfulness and creativity as ways of addressing complex trauma, having worked with both children and adults. With a rich professional background in early childhood education and extensive training in the arts, she passionately fosters resilience and emotional regulation through her workshops. Now based on the Sunshine Coast, Anna also actively shares her insights through community initiatives and programs.
This workshop at the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat is an opportunity for you to deepen your practice and explore innovative ways to support the families you work with.
Image: Anna facilitating a relaxation and creativity session for children and parents.
Anna shares a bit more about her journey:
“I currently reside on Gubbi Gubbi Land, and I have roots in Lutruwita (Tasmania). My upbringing in a low socio-economic environment shaped my perspective and understanding of education and social equity. Growing up in a single-parent household, I became an orphan at the age of 13, having dedicated two years to caring for my mother. This experience instilled in me a deep appreciation for the concept of ‘family,’ a term I first fully understood around the age of 28.
At 28, I also embarked on my academic journey as a mature-age student, becoming the first in my family to pursue a university education. During my studies in the Bachelor of Arts program, I was introduced to sociological concepts such as ‘class’ for the first time, leading me to realise the complexities of social stratification—an eye-opening moment that challenged my previously held belief that everyone was inherently equal.
My academic interests led me to explore Aboriginal Studies, where I approached the subject with an open mind, free from preconceived notions. This exploration prompted me to recognise the systemic failings affecting Aboriginal children in the education system, ultimately motivating me to transition to the Education Faculty in hopes of contributing positively to this area.
Through my experiences, I remain committed to advocating for social justice, equity in education, and addressing the disparities faced by marginalised communities. I view my background and ongoing journey as essential to shaping my perspective and actions in both personal and professional spheres.”
Join us for the fifth annual Creative Mental Health Forum. 2nd – 5th May 2025.
Boon Wurrung Country: Inverloch, Victoria, Australia.
An immersive professional development event for allied health professionals, educators and creative practitioners who are deeply interested in the new paradigm of creative mental health and wellbeing.
Join us for the fifth annual Creative Mental Health Forum.
2nd – 5th May 2025.
WE WELCOME
CREATIVE THERAPISTS,
ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
AND EDUCATORS WHO:
want to learn more about creative mental health,
be inspired by holistic and diverse workshops and presenters,
connect with like minded practitioners,
and “refill your well” with time in a beautiful nurturing environment and space for self care.
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