Artsphobia is the socially produced fear, hostility or marginalisation of the arts and creative expression. It operates through dominant discourses and policies that position aesthetic, sensory, expressive and experiential ways of knowing as peripheral, indulgent or non-essential — normalising their devaluation and rendering that marginalisation invisible or inevitable. … Read More
Author Archives: Carla
Where Values Meet Practice – Inside the Supervision Studio
Where Values Meet Practice – Inside the Supervision Studio The calling and the dissonance People who choose the helping professions often describe feeling a “calling”, and experience their work itself as an art. We can be particularly empathetic, sensitive and … Read More
Creativity, Improvisation, and the Art of Meeting Life
“The Ability to Improvise Is the Ability to Live” What if creativity is not a luxury, but a life skill? A new neuroscience study on jazz improvisation offers something rare: a way of watching creativity unfold in real time. Researchers … Read More
Out of the Light and Into the Shadows: Exploring Spaces Not Yet Defined
“Stepping into the light,” is a well-known metaphor, suggesting that clarity is only found through illumination. In creative and experiential therapies, and in life, shadows possess their own kind of wisdom. … Read More
Chapter 1: Discovering Helia Hart
Who is Helia Hart? From what I gather, Helia Hart was born beneath the wide skies of Provence, France, in 1895, her mother a painter and her father a sculptor, she was the daughter of two artists who taught her … Read More
Chapter 2: The Time Travellers’ Cocktail Party
Chapter 2: The Time Travellers’ Cocktail Party It began the night before, at the Creative Mental Health Forum, in a room transformed into a Time Travellers’ Cocktail Party. The theme on the invitations was “Time to Connect.” Guests drifted in, … Read More
Chapter 3: The Paris Years
Chapter 3 is coming soon…. From what I gather, Helia Hart was born beneath the wide skies of Provence, France, in 1895, her mother a painter and her father a sculptor, she was the daughter of two artists who taught … Read More
Chapter 4: The Departure
Chapter 4 is coming soon…. From what I gather, Helia Hart was born beneath the wide skies of Provence, France, in 1895, her mother a painter and her father a sculptor, she was the daughter of two artists who taught … Read More
Chapter 5: Visitors from the Future
Chapter 5 is coming soon… From what I gather, Helia Hart was born beneath the wide skies of Provence, France, in 1895, her mother a painter and her father a sculptor, she was the daughter of two artists who taught … Read More
Chapter 6: the Artefacts
Chapter 6 is coming soon…. From what I gather, Helia Hart was born beneath the wide skies of Provence, France, in 1895, her mother a painter and her father a sculptor, she was the daughter of two artists who taught … Read More
ARTCO DRAMA is BACK – September School Holidays Short Course with Henry De Oleveira
ARTCO DRAMA – Deepen Your Drama Skills with “View Points” We are proud to bring you this new short course designed by actor, theatre maker and VCA tutor, Henry DeOleveira. TUES, WED & THURSDAYS IN THE SEPTEMBER TERM BREAK … Read More
“Welcome to Country and Cultural Discovery Walk” with Sonia Weston.
Get ready for a very personal experience being Welcomed to Country by Sonia Weston at the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat in the beautiful coastal town of Inverloch. … Read More
“PONDERING GRIEF” with Linda Espie and Dr Carla van Laar.
“The experience and expression of grief is as unique as a finger print”.
Join us for an insightful and interactive workshop designed for creative/experiential therapists, counsellors, psychotherapists, allied health professionals, educators, and arts and health workers at the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum.
In “Pondering Grief Together,” renowned grief counsellors Linda Espie and Dr Carla van Laar will explore the deeply personal and unique experience of grief, emphasising its complexities and the various ways it can be expressed and understood. … Read More
“Promoting Creative Healing and Preventing Human Trafficking” with Nepalese Activist and Psychologist, Anuradha Acharya.
Anuradha, or ‘Anu’ is a compassionate psychologist with over 15 years of experience dedicated to supporting survivors of violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking in Nepal. Her unwavering commitment focuses on helping survivors heal and grow after these traumas. This has led Anu to discover and embrace arts-based and creative approaches as healing modalities. … Read More
“Connection to Country through the Practice of Wayapa” with Justine Lenart.
Justine Lenart, a passionate movement practitioner and First Nations woman, has embraced a practice that not only nurtures her well-being but also fosters a deeper connection to the Earth. This practice is called Wayapa Wurrk, which translates to “connect to the Earth” and is rooted in ancient Indigenous wisdom. … Read More
“Create Your Own Drag Persona: Exploring Identity Through the Art of Drag” with Jay Glascott and Marlene Habib.
Create Your Own Drag Persona: Exploring Identity Through the Art of Drag.
In this experiential workshop, drag becomes a powerful tool for self-exploration—where you are the canvas. Through the playful and transformative modality of drag, participants will be invited to step beyond societal expectations, embrace fluidity in gender expression, and bring untapped parts of themselves to life.
… Read More
“Music and Imagination” with Andrew McSweeney.
Andrew McSweeney facilitates the Music & Imagination Introductory Workshop where you’ll learn how to tap into your natural ability and create music you love with the magic of your imagination. You’ll be introduced to a wonderful new way of learning, playing and creating music. During the workshop, Andrew will lead you through an intuitive exercise that will immerse you in your imagination and reveal the music you’d love to create and play. You’ll transform your relationship with music and overcome any obstacle that has been holding you back from learning, playing or creating the music you love.
… Read More
“Time to Rest: Meditation Creations” with Anna Kilpatrick.
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. … Read More
“Weaving Nature’s Wonders” with Erin McCrorey.
A workshop to inspire creativity and sustainability by teaching participants how to weave artistic and functional wall hangings that turn non-Australian “weedy” plants and other found fibres into art, while acknowledging the rich traditional wisdom and origins of weaving practices. … Read More
“NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY” with Dr Carla van Laar.
Navigating Uncertainty: Insights from Dr. Carla van Laar at the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat
As we continue to navigate the complexities of mental health care, particularly within the framework of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the upcoming 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the evolving landscape of creative and experiential therapies. Dr. Carla van Laar, a key speaker at this year’s forum, poses a crucial question: “What has been revealed over the past six months of uncertainty regarding access to Creative and Experiential Therapies in the NDIS?” … Read More
“FOREST THERAPY – A SENSORY EXPERIENCE” with Leesa Nash and Alana Stewart.
Let Leesa and Alana guide you through a 3 hour sensory and creative forest therapy experience. Our aim is to provide you with a mindful experience which connects you with nature as a healing companion in your daily lives for co-regulation. … Read More
Supervision Studio – an online safe creative space for allied health practitioners
If you are in the mood to reflect in good company on the year gone by, perhaps consciously letting some things go, and embracing an intention for the coming year, please join us for this creative and reflective, supportive sharing space. … Read More
“Awaken Your Senses: the ancient art of Besom-Making” with Kim Wren and Lindy Schneider..
This hands-on experience, led by well-loved and experienced Art and Equine Therapists Kim Wren and Lindy Schneider, offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of creativity, nature, and mental health. … Read More
“Making our Marks”: ND Affirming Creative Arts Therapy with Freya Pinney.
Making Our Marks: Reflections on ND Affirming practice by neurodivergent creative arts therapists explores the perspectives of neurodivergent identifying CATs and what ND affirming practice means to them.
This research project involves 7 ND identifying CATs participating in collaborative co-inquiries and interviews. … Read More
Printmaking: The Nature of Reciprocity with Melinda Jane and Emma Fayelecaun.
How might we bring ourselves into meaningful relationships with other bodies, both human and non-human, using embodiment, reciprocity and expressive play?
Using creative printmaking as our primary modality, the invitation will be to explore connection, kinship and reciprocal relationships, with place, with materials and with others. … Read More
Outdoor Play Therapy with Kim Wood, Founder of Heartwood Health Farm.
Outdoor Play Therapy with Kim Wood – experience and learn about it for yourself at the 2025 Creative Mental Health Forum. Introducing Kim Wood Meet Kim Wood, a biologist turned therapist, with a deep-rooted passion for working with … Read More
Inverloch Pop-Up ART CO – the evidence of participation
Image: A young visitor admiring artist Martha Breninger’s “Ocean Goddess” soft sculpture. We created a driftwood shrine for her, and many visitors to the ARTCO created soft colourful pom-poms to adorn the shrine and make a commitment to the Ocean … Read More
Dr Carla van Laar – advocating for Creative and Experiential Therapists
Advocacy for Creative and Experiential Therapies Part of my role as Convenor of PACFA’s College of Creative and Experiential Therapies (CCET),is a pivotal job in actively shaping the landscape of mental health and wellbeing within Australia’s service system and … Read More
CCET’s monthly professional development webinar series launches on 3rd September with an Introduction to Dramatherapy from Dr Amanda Musicka-Williams!
Join PACFA’s College of Creative and Experiential Therapies (CCET) for an introductory presentation on Dramatherapy by Dr. Amanda Musicka-Williams: Explore key international definitions and approaches to dramatherapy practice Learn about the range of drama-based therapeutic methods from embodied play to … Read More
RADICAL CREATIVITY with Dr Carla van Laar and Melanie Knight
Rhythm in Flow – Dance Meditation Dancing is a way of knowing ourselves beyond the physical. Dancing is a way of processing what is stored in the body Dancing is a way of integrating change Dancing is a way … Read More