Supervision Studio - an online safe creative space for allied health practitioners

I would love you to join me in the online

Supervision Studio

Final Small Group for the year!

Sunday 1st December 10am – 12.30pm

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.

I often play around in my studio, hanging different art on the walls, rearranging furniture, and (trying to) organize the materials.

As I did this recently, I reflected again on some of the important findings that came out of my Doctoral research, “Seeing Her Stories”. I became especially interested in how the contexts that we are surrounded by make it safer or more dangerous to share our stories through art, to be seen and to see. I wrote:

“the contexts of our seeing include our personal life histories, the institutions we engage with, the culture of societies that we live and work in, and the histories of our art making practices. Being mindful of these multiple influences broadens the ways in which we can consciously create contexts that support ourselves and others to safely share stories through art, enabling art to be a meeting place, and contributing to the making of cultural contexts that are increasingly consistent with our values.”

Although my studio is housed in a humble shed, it frequently provides a welcome relief to people who come here to create and be companioned. I am aware that people’s daily lives require them to navigate time in places and spaces that are less than safe, including ways that might be sensory, physical, interpersonal and/or related to core values and world view.

Having safe havens is crucial to wellness, and I like to imagine my studio as one such place for people who need it.

I perform this value of contextual safety in other ways too, by being discerning about the contexts that I place myself within, and the institutions and organisations that I align myself with. To me, all of these actions are part of culture making, and being part of the change I wish to see in the world.

For those who are interested, the entire chapter ‘Context, Risk and Safety’ is available to read and download for free here:

https://carlavanlaar.com/seeing-her-stories/

This article is proudly brought to you by Dr Carla van Laar.

Dr Carla is an artist and creative arts therapist living and working on beautiful Boon Wurrung Country down in the south east of Australia in the coastal country township of Inverloch.

She is a passionate advocate for access to creative arts and wellness for all members of our communitiies.

Dr Carla leads by example, in her role as Convenor of PACFA’s College of Creative and Experiential Therapies (CCET),

Founder of the Creative Mental Health Forum and Collective Care Retreat,

Author of articles, resources and books about the power of the arts for healing and wellness.

Dr Carla offers:

individual and small group creative arts therapy sessions at her Inverloch studio,

professional supervision for therapists and counsellors,

creative professional development workshops,

art therapy first aid training

commissioned artworks,

art and mindfulness wellbeing programs,

and arts project development and facilitation.

Please contact Dr Carla with any enquiries at Carlavanlaar@gmail.com

Supervision Studio – an online safe creative space for allied health practitioners

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply