Dr Carla van Laar MCAT Prof Doc ThAP 

PACFA reg. Clinical 27769

PACFA accredited supervisor

Arts Practitioner, Educator, Researcher and Therapist

“With over 25 years experience working with people to enhance life through art, I am committed to creativity and the arts as ways of enriching the lives of individuals, communities and our global society. Art can promote wellness, communicate, enliven, empower and stimulate social change. I love to work with others with similar values as together we create ripple effects that continuously expand. When we work together using the arts and our imaginations, the amazing, surprising and unexpected become possible.”

Areas of Expertise

  • Arts for Health, Healing and Well-being

  • Practicing and Exhibiting Artist

  • Art Based Research

  • Art Based Education and Training

  • Community Cultural Development and Capacity Building

  • Facilitation, Presenting and Public Speaking

  • Project Management

  • Mentoring and Volunteers

  • Youth Participation

  • Relationship Building and Partnerships

  • Responding to Trauma

  • Curriculum Development

  • Retreats and Residential Eco-therapy

  • Cross-Cultural collaboration 

Education

  • Doctor of Therapeutic Arts Practice,The MIECAT Institute, 2019

  • Master of Creative Arts Therapy, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 2001

  • Graduate Diploma, Creative Arts Therapy, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 2000

  • Graduate studies, Grief and Loss Counselling, Victoria University, Melbourne, 2002

  • Graduate studies, Computer Mediated Art, Victoria University, Melbourne, 1998 – 1999

  • Under Graduate studies, Media & Sociology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, 1995

  • Advanced Certificate of Art and Design, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 1992

  • Certificate 4 in Education and Training, HBA Learning Centres, 2011

  • Certificate 4 in Small Business Management, RMIT, 2011

  • Narrative Therapy approaches to working with adolescents, Michael White, 2006

  • Narrative responses to violence, Michael White week long intensive, 2005

  • Certificate of Acting, Swinburne University, 2001

  • Senior First Aid Certificate, St John’s, 2005, updated

  • Mental Health First Aid Certificate, 2008

  • Yoga Teacher Studies, Vivekenunda Institute, 2003

Publications 

van Laar, C. (2001). Snapshots of a bereaved mother’s heart: An heuristic arts inquiry into being a bereaved mother. (Unpublished master’s thesis). RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.

Lacy, J., Michaelson, R., & van Laar, C. (2007). A safe distance: An intermodal approach to creating a country retreat for city girls who have been abused. In V. A. Camilleri (Ed.), Healing the inner city child: Creative arts therapies with at-risk youth (pp. 282-300). London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. (https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Healing_the_Inner_City_Child.html?id=PwhV8zHl9mwC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false)

Rumbold, J., Allen, J., Alexander, L., & van Laar, C. (2008). Knowing together differently- Intersubjective responding. In P. Liamputtong & J. Rumbold (Eds.), Knowing differently: Arts-based and collaborative research methods (pp. 297-325). New York, NY: Nova Science. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35110272?q&online=true)

van Laar, C. (2008). Bereaved mother’s heart. Bendigo, Australia: St Luke’s Innovative resources. (https://innovativeresources.org/resources/books/bereaved-mothers-heart/)

van Laar, C. (2012). Chill skills: an eight session program for supporting students to build skills in managing anxiety. Melbourne, Australia: School Focused Youth Services and headspace Western Melbourne. (https://www.academia.edu/3608606/Chill_Skills_-_working_with_young_people_to_build_resilience)

van Laar, C. (2013). Nicola sings a response. ANZJAT, 8(1), 56-57. (https://anzacata.org/resources/Files/11_ANZJAT/ANZJAT-2013/7-ANZJAT-2013-CvL.pdf)

van Laar, C. (2017). The art of recovery: One day at a time. ANZJAT, 12(1), 46-49. (https://anzacata.org/resources/Files/11_ANZJAT/ANZJAT-2017/8-ANZJAT-2017-CVL-a.pdf )

van Laar, C. (2019). Seeing her stories: Finding a place in the landscape of art therapy literature. ANZJAT, 14(1), 15-25. (https://carlavanlaar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Seeing-her-stories-article-4.ANZJAT_2019-CvL.pdf)

van Laar, C. (2020). Seeing her stories. Carlavanlaar.com publishing: Melbourne. (https://carlavanlaar.com/seeing-her-stories/)

Neville, A., & van Laar, C. (2020). The balancing act: Performing stories of our practice within systems of the state. JOCAT, 15(1), 64 – 73 (https://www.jocat-online.org/a-20-neville-vanlaar)

van Laar, C. (2021). Art Therapy First Aid. In J.Scarce (Ed.), Art Therapy in Response to Natural Disasters, Mass Violence, and Crises. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. (https://aus.jkp.com/products/art-therapy-in-response-to-natural-disasters-mass-violence-and-crises)

van Laar, C. (2023). Interest, Enablement, Joy, and Meaning: Listening for What’s Life Enhancing About Sharing Our Stories Through Art. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.77540

Professional experience

Carlavanlaar.com 2019 – current

  • Creative Arts Therapy for individuals and groups
  • Professional Development workshops for therapists, allied health professionals, and educators
  • Clinical Supervision for creative arts therapists, counsellors and psychotherapists
  • Founder and Director, Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat
  • Initiator, Inverloch Pop-Up ART CO.

Lecturer, The IKON Institute 2012 – Current

  • Bachelor of Arts Therapy course development
  • Experiential education
  • Supervision and assessment

Artist Fellow, Creative Research Lab, RMIT University 2018

  • Artist in residence at ‘Creative Agency’ where my role was to create artworks in and around RMIT as a creative disruption to the academic tradition

Principal Therapist, VincentCare Young Adults Counselling Service 2016 – 2018

  • Generate referrals liaising with key stakeholders who are housing service providers

  • Provide individual therapy for young adults experiencing homelessness

  • Facilitate group work including mindfulness, somatic experiencing and art therapy

  • Offer secondary consultation for case managers

Founding Director, aHa (Arts Health Australia) Studio and Gallery 2008 – 2018

  • Established independent Creative Arts Therapy access gallery and studio in Brunswick 2009

  • Host and curate exhibitions of art works related to health, empowerment and social action

  • Host and facilitate professional development training, supervision, creative workshops and therapeutic sessions

  • Undertake a range of art-based consultancy, lecturing and research for community, arts, health, justice and educational organisations

Senior Advisor and Facilitator, The Art to Healing Project 2010 – 2017

  • Provide expertise in the use of art-based, somatic and community capacity building approaches in working against the problem of international sex trafficking of women and children

  • Develop training programs for staff of NGOs working for the empowerment of sex trafficking survivors and building communities of resilience

  • Facilitate cross-cultural training intensives in Nepal including: holistic arts therapy, trauma, attachment and art therapy, and recently art therapy first aid training in the wake of the Nepalese earthquakes

Acting Head of School and Head of Faculty – Art Therapy, The Phoenix Institute of Australia, 2012 – 2013

  • Provide leadership for the delivery of Art Therapy education programs at Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Bachelor levels

  • Support student engagement and academic progress

  • Manage and develop team of 20+ sessional staff

  • Supervise arts based projects and research

  • New course development – wrote Diploma of Holistic Arts Therapy 
with successful accreditation

  • Supervise Holistic Counselling Service

Senior Project Manager, Headspace Western and Northern Melbourne 2009 – 2010

Managed arts based and community projects, staff and key stakeholder relationships at executive, community and internal levels including;

  • Drink? Think. Drama project for young women 18 – 25 exploring binge drinking

  • Visionary Images health promotion posters project

  • Men’s health week event with Western Bulldogs

  • headspace@schoolspace whole school project at Werribee and Galvin Park Secondary Colleges

  • “What’s in your headspace?” Mental health awareness raising in schools

  • YAC Youth Action Committee

  • Framework for coordinated community capacity building by a group of core mental health agencies

Community Capacity Building Manager, Headspace Western Melbourne 2008 – 2009

  • Developed a staff team to support the aims of hWM in providing quality accessible early intervention mental health care for young people

  • Development of youth friendly projects utilising the arts, drama, multimedia and the web

  • Delivery of awareness raising programs and projects to over 4000 students within the Western region of Melbourne’s schools, sports clubs and other organisations

  • Initiated and delivered accredited education, training and development, for young people, over 300 professionals and families. Topics included; SEE Young People – Screening and engaging early, Can Do young people, Working with families and significant others, Anxiety – the links with student learning

  • Obtained over $80,000 of funding in a twelve month period for projects including the granting of a NAB schools first award, three rounds of School Focused Youth Services funding for work in schools and the development of a training manual for School Welfare Coordinators, and Victorian Women’s Trust funding for a drama based binge drinking prevention project 

  • Worked with community groups to strengthen community capacity for supporting and responding to the mental health needs of young people

  • Established, supported and provided development opportunities for the Youth Action Committee to ensure youth participation in the development of hWM

  • Supervised Education, Social Work, Community Development and Project Management students on placements from Victoria University

Clinician, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Adolescent Forensic Health Service (AFHS), Male Adolescent Program for Positive Sexuality (MAPPS), 2005 – 2008

  • Member of a multi-disciplinary team in which I was responsible for general clinical duties

  • Offered a specialist contribution through the development of sexual offence specific therapeutic intervention programs utilising narrative, cognitive behavioural, art, drama and outdoor adventure methods

  • Assessment and treatment of adolescents who have been found guilty of sexual offences, state wide

  • Preparation of assessment and risk management advice for the Courts and Department of Human Services (DHS)

  • Management of relationships with clients, families, case managers, other service providers, community based organizations and key stake holders

  • Facilitation of group, family and individual sessions

  • Provision of training and professional development for DHS, AFHS and other services

  • Fortnightly trips to Mildura providing services for rural clients and liasing with regional partners including Indigenous community members

  • Supervision of placement students

Mentoring Program Coordinator, Young people in the custodial youth justice system, Whitelion 2002 – 2004

  • Researched and developed best practice mentoring program model in consultation with steering committee including ;

  • Promotional material, presentations, interviews, speaker at corporate, sporting and arts events

  • Event management including celebrity games challenges, touring exhibitions, public performing arts, cultural festivals, trivia challenges and adventure / therapeutic camps

  • Screening of volunteers including police checks, interviews and referee checks

  • Development and delivery of training program including alcohol and other drugs education, personal safety, cultural awareness, cycles of abuse, narrative and solution focused approaches to interaction, listening skills, ethical guidelines and self care

  • Supervision and support of over 200 volunteer mentors

  • Initiated over eighty mentoring partnerships between volunteers and young people in the Youth Justice system.

  • Coordinated and facilitated numerous group programs, liasing with Melbourne Youth Justice Centre and Parkville Youth Residential Centre, coordinating volunteer involvement, generating donations of goods and services and attracting celebrity guests for programs such as Art Room activities, Rock climbing, Surfing, Gokarting, Movie nights, Dinner Parties, Adventure activities and Games nights.

  • Within two years attracted funding grants in excess of $450,000 to Whitelion from the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation and other funding bodies for expansion of the program.

Consultancy Experience

Department of Human Services, Youth Justice, Loddon-Mallee Region 2015

• Flying Art Therapy services to young men on community based orders

Integral Psychology

• Develop and facilitate art based and experiential workshops for participants of wellness retreats on location in Hepburn Springs and Ubud, Bali.

The MIECAT Institute -Melbourne Institute of Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy – 2008 – 2017

  • Guest Lecturer, Graduate Diploma of Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy program

  • Supervisor, Master’s students

Victoria University – 2014-2015

• Researcher, the Ageing and Creativity project partnership with Footscray Community Arts Centre

Arts Victoria Invited Panel Member 2010

• Member of the peer review panel selecting and allocating funding round of Community Arts Grant

RMIT University Melbourne. Master of Creative Arts Therapy Program. 2001 – 2007

  • Supervision of students on field placement

  • Program development

  • Member of course advisory committee and higher degrees committee

  • Supervision of minor thesis and assessment of Master’s candidates

  • Lecturer in the following courses: Therapeutic relationships, Diverse client groups, Creative arts therapy, Art as experience, Advanced studio workshops

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program (CSAPP) 2001 – 2007

  • Retreat Leader and Facilitator for young women who have been sexually abused

  • Planning and facilitation of therapeutic activities to promote personal safety and empowerment

  • National Child Abuse Prevention Award winning group work in primary, secondary and special schools

  • Topics included: Bullying prevention, Self esteem and resilience, Protective behaviours, Suicide prevention, Positive body image

  • Creative arts therapy sessions with individual students as follow up to disclosures of sexual abuse

Conference Presentations 2000 – current

  • ANZACATA, Convergence: Cohesion in Diversity, Conference, Perth, 2018

  • ANZA T A (Australia and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association) and ACATA (Australian Creative Arts Therapies Association) joint conference, Invited Presenter, Adelaide, 2015

  • Evidence in a Different Form, Search Conference, Invited Facilitator, Bendigo, 2014

  • Wild Mind, Generative Eco-conferences, 2013 (organising committee) and 2014

  • ANZATA (Australia and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association), Singapore 2014 and Sydney 2013

  • British Psychodrama International Conference, London, 2014

  • Arts and Health, Sydney 2013

  • Lighthouse Foundation’s Trauma and Attachment Focused conference, Melbourne 2013.

  • Birds of a Feather (Multi-disciplinary Arts Therapies Organisations), Invited Presenter, 2012

  • Bali International Art Therapy Conference, 2012

  • ANZATA (Australia and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association), Brisbane, 2011

  • Heads Up! The First International Youth Mental Health Conference, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, 2010

  • International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, University of Illinois, 2009

  • Headspace Collaborative Learning Network, University of Sydney, 2009

  • VOTA, (Victorian Offender Treatment Association) conference, Melbourne, 2007

  • ACA T A (Australian Creative Arts Therapy Association) conference, Melbourne, 2007

  • ANZATSA (Australia and New Zealand Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuse) conference, Gold Coast, 2006

  • ACATA (Australian Creative Arts Therapy Association), “Expanding your horizons – the future of Creative Arts Therapy in Australia” conference, Melbourne, 2006

  • International Conference of Mothering and Subjectivity, Brisbane, 2005

  • SANDS (Stillbirth and Neo-natal Death Support), National Conference, Melbourne, 2005

  • Shifting Signs, new directions in research conference, RMIT University, 2000

  • Creative Arts Therapy Annual Colloquiums, 2000 – 2004

Arts Project Coordination, Development and Facilitation 1991 – 2001

  • Boomerang Club, Moonee Ponds, Arts Therapy sessions culminating in exhibitions and community arts projects for adults with mental health problems, 2001

  • Department of Human Services, Northern Metropolitan Region, Juvenile Justice Unit “Arts Express”, Arts Therapy sessions and group exhibition with young women in Juvenile Justice, 2001

  • CERES Community Environmental Park; Kingfisher Festival, costume workshops with groups of people with disabilities, 2001

  • Royal Children’s Hospital, Parental Bereavement Support Group, Art based, Mandala Workshop, “How can I be whole now?” 2000, presentation of master’s research, 2001. Both sessions reviewed in the parental bereavement support newsletter.

  • Brunswick Kindergarten, Artist in residence. Worked with the children to explore the theme “river of learning” as a metaphor for diversity through movement and music, produced sea creature ceramic tiles and built a mosaic seating wall, 2000

  • Gumnut Childcare and Kindergarten, Creative Music and Movement for children,1998-2000

  • St. Joseph’s Aged care hostel, Creative Arts Therapy workshops for the hostel residents incorporating the use of art mediums, poetry and drama to foster personal relationships and orientation for new residents, 1999

  • Melbourne City Mission; Group murals with teenagers with disabilities, 1999

  • Darebin Youth and Recreation Services, “Start up Art” workshops, innovative Art & Relaxation for young adults with disabilities 1997-1998

  • Northcote Library, Creative Workshops for bereaved parents 1997

  • Melbourne City Mission, Art Therapy for pre-school children with special needs 1996

  • Reverse Garbage Truck, Travelling art workshops in Primary schools, Kindergartens and day programs for young adults with mental illness 1995-1997

  • Northcote Preston Helping Hand Association, Art sessions for older adults with intellectual disabilities 1991-1994

Artist in Residencies 1996 – 2003

  • Fitzroy Primary School, community stories mural project, 2003

  • Whittlesea Community Festival, “a wish for the future” installations 2002

  • La Trobe University, student café mural and renovation, 2000

  • Collingwood College, “The Island”, mural, 2000

  • Preston Girl’s Secondary College, ceramic mural project, 1999

  • Brunswick Kindergarten, “river of learning” mural, 1998

  • Northcote Aquatic Centre, “swimming is for everyone” mural, 1997

  • Batman Park Kindergarten “our backyard”, “sunflowers” and “a tree for me” murals, 1996

Public Artwork 2001 – 2006

  • SWELL Sculpture Festival, Gold Coast, exhibiting artist, 2005 – 2006

  • Spiral For Peace, Community Ritual and Giant Spiral Candle Installations, 1000’s of people participated, Brunswick, Northcote, Apollo Bay, Reservoir, 2001-2003

  • Fairfield Community Health Complex, decorative steel and stained glass screen for front of the new community health complex, commissioned by Darebin Council. Station St Fairfield 1999

Exhibiting artist 1993 – current

  • The Artist’s Guild Gallery “Unsung Spaces”, an exhibition of artworks created during my Artist Fellowship at RMIT’s Creative Agency, 2018

  • OffShore Surf School “Invy Calling” an exhibition and Summer Artist in Residency in a coastal Victorian surfing community.

  • aHa Studio and Gallery Brunswick, “Transition”, 2018

  • aHa Studio and Gallery Brunswick, “Brunswick Backstreets”, 2017

  • aHa Studio and Gallery Brunswick, “Recent works”, 2016

  • aHa Studio and Gallery Brunswick, “INHABITED”, 2014

  • aHa Studio and Gallery Brunswick, “Some Small Matters”, 2013

  • aHa Studio and Gallery Brunswick, “In My Nature”, 2013

  • aHa Studio and Gallery Brunswick, “Seeing her story”, 2010

  • Phillip Island Community Gallery, Cowes, “Seeing her story”, 2008

  • Melbourne Institute of Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy, Fitzroy, “Seeing her story”, 2007

  • Anne Middleton Gallery, Albert Park, “Oceana Australis’, 2006

  • Libation Café Bar Gallery, Sydney Rd Brunswick, “Have you been here?” 2005

  • Mantra Lounge Bar @ Saffron, Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach, “Still / Going” 2005

  • Northcote Library, Separation St. Northcote, “MOOVin”, images exploring transition, 2005

  • Royal Women’s Hospital, Women’s Health and Information Centre, Carlton, “One Broken Heart Beat” 2000

  • Northcote Library, Separation St. Northcote, “Come Down Angel”, 1997

  • Ultra Violet, High St. Northcote, Darebin Festival, Window Installation, 1997

  • Seven Sisters Cafe, High St. Northcote, 1996

  • Col’s Cafe, Smith St. Collingwood, 1996

  • The Women’s Gallery, Brunswick St. Fitzroy, “Beautiful Monstrosity” Installation, 1995

  • Mort and Pleasure Gallery, Queen’s Parade Clifton Hill, Recent works, 1993

Community Service 1999 – current

  • Senior Advisor and Co-facilitator, the Arts 2 Healing Project, arts therapies with survivors of people trafficking in Asia, including cross cultural workshops with women in Nepal, 2009 – 2017

  • Painting workshop facilitator, “The Hero’s Journey Exhibition”, Melbourne 2015

  • Fundraiser, Yoga Education Institute School for street children, Varanasi, India, 2010

  • Fundraiser, Cambodian Kids Foundation, Schools for Cambodian children, 2010

  • Presenter, Radio Mama, 3CR Community Radio, 2004 – 2008

  • Coordinator, March for Children, a call for protection of children from sexual abuse, 2002

  • President, Committee of Management, Brunswick Kindergarten, 1999-2000

  • Art Therapy Assistant, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Oncology, 1998-1999

  • Kinder Assistant, Uncle Bob’s Kindergarten for children with special needs, 1997-1999

Associations and Committees

Clinical Registrant PACFA 2021 – current

Professional Member ANZACATA 209 – 2021

Professional Member ACATA, Association for Creative Arts Therapists Australia. 1999 – 2018
Founding President 1999 -2001, President 2011 – 2012

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