“Healing is grounded in our cultural identities and connections and builds on our strengths and resilience” Michelle Smith RN Michelle is a true community worker. For over 30 years she has worked consistently in Aboriginal programs through the arts and … Read More
News
Join Jiancong (Eric) Zhang in “Unfolding Art Therapy”
As an artist, Eric fell in love with paper folding (origami) as a form of artistic reflection. Influenced by his earliest experiences of learning origami from his mother, the medium is closely connected to this mother-child relationship. He believes that … Read More
Emma van Daal (nee Hodges) – Contemplating the radical potential of the therapeutic space.
“The individual is…not prior to their environment but codetermined with it, constituted within and through the patterned interaction of affects and movements and changes of bodies in relationships” Duschinsky et al., 2015 Emma van Daal joins us as a presenter … Read More
Svetlana Bykovec: Nature and Replenishing the “Well”
“How does your relationship to Earth inform your creative/professional work?” Svetlana Bykovec Svetlana Bykovec AThR joins us as a facilitator at the 2021 Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat. She shares: “I am lead Art Therapist for Creative … Read More
Trish Thompson: The Co-Creative Process of Writing Together – Shining a Light on the Relationship between Client and Therapist
“Practice wisdom points to the relationship between the therapist and client as the main driver of change, but we don’t often hear the voice of the client and their experience of the therapeutic relationship” Trish Thompson Esteemed psychotherapist Trish Thompson … Read More
Chris Petrie AThR brings you UPBEAT BUCKET DRUMMING
“Therapeutic value is gained when people gather to share creative experiences. When people are witnessed, encouraged and feel open to be themselves, they feel the upbeat benefits of therapeutic group drumming”. Chris Petrie What do you get when you mix … Read More
Professor Dan Harris: Creative Mental Health Special Guest Presenter
The Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat is honoured to welcome Professor Dan Harris as a Special Guest Presenter. In December 2020, Dan posted this ground breaking news: “So today I got promoted to full professor. I’m my … Read More
Dr. Amanda Musicka-Williams: “Imitate, Innovate, Become” How Dramatherapy supports positive self- image and communal belonging
“Imitate, Innovate, Become“ Dr Amanda Musicka-Williams brings her expertise in drama and well-being to the Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat in the “Imitate, Innovate, Become” workshop. In this workshop participants will experience the role method of dramatherapy … Read More
Tara Harriden AThR: Culturally Sensitive Practice – Art Based Supervision with Support Workers in Remote Indigenous Communities, a PhD Research Project.
“I believe in the power of research as a social change-maker – I hope that my research will affect some change in the lives of Remote Area Aboriginal people living with psychosocial disabilities as well as on health/social policy” Tara Harriden … Read More
Melissa Nelson-Campbell’s lived experience as a woman of colour propelled her to make meaning through working human rights. Now, she empowers multicultural school communities through the transformative potentials of art making.
“As a woman of colour, artist, and art therapist, I am driven to support people from diverse backgrounds yearning to find their voice and be heard.” Melissa Nelson-Campbell Melissa Nelson-Campbell, owner and founder of Draw Inspiration is open about her life … Read More
Dr Carla van Laar. “Standing Strong in our Professional Identity” – Art based and collaborative approaches in individual planning and responding as humanising alternatives to assessments and interventions.
In our recent article, The Balancing Act: Performing Stories of our Practice within Systems of the State, Dr Alisoun Neville and I wrote: “We invite arts therapists to reflect on the values performed by the documents we produce, and to … Read More
Anjali Sengupta – Allow your own Unique Medicine to Emerge through Dance.
Move and be moved in these two dance for wellness workshops with experienced dance/movement therapist and Bollywood for well-being guru, the ever inspiring Anjali Sengupta. … Embodied Self Care- Medicine Drum & Dance “This session is about giving yourself your … Read More
New Publication “The Balancing Act” – Co-authored by Dr Alisoun Neville and Dr Carla van Laar
Feature Image: “Looking up”, Carla van Laar. Congratulations to the Editors, designer and contributors of the first edition of our new Australian publication, the “Journal of Creative Arts Therapies” – JoCAT. Alisoun Neville and I have coauthored an article for … Read More
Supervision with Carla in 2021
Just a quick update to let you know what’s happening with Supervision this year… Some things change, some stay the same… What’s the same? Supervision Studio continues ONLINE on Sundays 10am – 12.30pm. 2.5 hours of small group and arts … Read More
Michelle Morgan: Spirituality and Mental Health
What offers us hope, or helps us to make meaning? What values guide us, particularly in times of challenge? What are our anchors and roots in the shadowy depths and wild turbulence, and what paths do we take to access … Read More
Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat – REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
We pay our deep respects to the First Peoples of Boon Wurrung Country where we will meet. CREATIVE MENTAL HEALTH FORUM AND SELF CARE RETREAT Friday 14th – Monday 17th May 2021 Inverloch RACV Resort, Bass Coast, Victoria Your host, … Read More
Lee Agius “The Artful Warrior”: Yoga for Self Care at the 2021 Creative Mental Health Forum and Retreat in Inverloch
“incorporate slow mindful movement with your breath that sends a message back to your body which completely supports your nervous system to relax…” … Read More
Bronwyn Roberts: Chief Happiness Officer – “Let’s Laugh”!
This joyful and fun practice has some serious benefits – “stimulate the immune system, boost circulation, lower stress, reduce pain, increase creativity, productivity and motivation, and have a positive impact on mental health” Bronwyn Roberts Bronwyn Roberts joins the 2021 … Read More
6 Months of Activism – Highlights of the ACTivate Arts Therapy Campaign
The ACTivate Arts Therapy campaign began when numbers of experienced and well qualified Arts Therapists were told they could not apply for the new ‘Mental Health Practitioner in Schools’ positions because their profession is not listed in the 2014 Victorian … Read More
Jaya Narayan’s “Amplifying your unique voice” – Project 2021
Arts Therapist Jaya Narayan is on a mission to amplify and mainstream the voices of creative therapists who identify as BIPOC, members of minority ethnic groups, LGBTQI, or peripheral in any other way. She says, “My intention is to video … Read More
The Art of Relationship, Connection and Co-creation – reflections on my final PD workshop of 2020
This topic took on new meaning in the context of Victoria’s re-opening after the pandemic restrictions In November 2019 I planned a whole calendar of Professional Development training workshops for 2020. I was inspired to share some of the significant … Read More
Jaana Sahling offers an introduction to Art Therapy Workshop in December
Are you feeling the urge to try Art Therapy yourself? Jaana Sahling is offering introductory Art Therapy workshops during December – a perfect opportunity to treat yourself. Creative Reflections – Introduction to Art Therapy Workshop Dates: Saturdays; 5-Dec & 12-Dec, … Read More
ACTivate Arts Therapy community PICNIC Sunday 6th December 12.30 – 2.30pm Princes Park, North Carlton
You are invited! Please join members of the ACTivate Arts Therapy community for a friendly casual catch up and debrief, celebrate, get some perspective on 2020 with an art-full picnic. Where: By the pond at the Northern end of Princes … Read More
Save the Date! “Creative Mental Health” Forum and Self Care Retreat May 2021
We pay our deep respects to the First Peoples of Boon Wurrung Country where we will meet. Friday 14th – Monday 17th May 2021 Inverloch RACV Resort, Bass Coast, Victoria Experience for yourself how: Creative practices support mental health Contemporary … Read More
ACTivate Arts Therapy Campaign – Community Gathering – JOIN US!
Wednesday, 4 November 2020 at 5.30pm Melbourne time TO JOIN: EMAIL ME carlavanlaar@gmail.com I will send you a ZOOM invitation Please join me and the other lead campaigners Alisoun Neville and Alana Stewart this coming Wednesday. I will give a … Read More
FACE to FACE Professional Development is BACK in Brunswick with Carla
I’m so excited to be able to share the final Professional Development workshop for 2020 with you IN PERSON FACE TO FACE in BRUNSWICK! I am offering the 50% discount for this final 2020 workshop because you deserve it simply … Read More
ART THERAPY WHATS ON – November 2020
ART THERAPY WHATS ON is a monthly directory of events, workshops, professional development and gigs BY and FOR Arts Therapists. Please send your contributions to carlavanlaar@gmail.com Include date and time, title, location, facilitator, cost. 100 words and a photo or … Read More
ACTivate Arts Therapy speaks with the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System
Today, Dr Alisoun Neville AThR, Caroline Liuzzi (EO Creative Art Therapy Australia) and I met with representatives of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. We were met warmly, and informed that we did not need to convince our … Read More
BOOK REVIEW – Dr Ariel Moy shares her experience of Carla van Laar’s “Seeing Her Stories”
Seeing Her Stories: An Arts Based Inquiry by Dr Carla van Laar Review by Dr Ariel Moy Seeing Her Stories is a surprising book. Carla begins with a simple question: what might happen when a woman’s stories are seen? She … Read More
Jill Gallagher AO supports the ACTivate Arts Therapy campaign
The ACTivate Arts Therapy campaign is honoured to receive this endorsement from Jill Gallagher AO, CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and former Treaty Advancement Commissioner for Victoria. Thanks Jill.