“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
Proud to be a Wiradjuri woman, Tara Harriden AThR brings her wisdom of cultural creative practices to the 2021 Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat, and shares some of the ways she brings Indigenous knowledge into her art therapy practice.
Tara is one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal Art Therapists. She is currently completing her PhD research into using culturally sensitive, art based, clinical supervision methods to support psychosocial support workers who work with Indigenous people in remote communities.
With a Master of Mental Health majoring in Art Therapy from the University of Queensland’s School of Medicine, Tara specialises in helping people find creative solutions to their own life’s challenges.
Tara shares her passion for raising awareness about the efficacy of Arts Therapy and the professionalism of Arts Therapists:
“We need people to understand that effective Arts Therapy is provided by highly educated and trained Mental Health Professionals…”
Tara Harriden
“…we need to educate the general public and policymakers that Creative Arts Therapy involves more than just colouring in, doing random movements to music, or writing rap verses with our clients. We are more than counsellors who happen to have a pack of crayons in our consulting rooms.
We need people to understand that effective Arts Therapy is provided by highly educated and trained Mental Health Professionals who understand how the brain develops and changes over the course of a person’s life. We need to get more research done and published about the ways Arts Therapies are deployed in different settings so we can get a really strong evidence base together.
I am doing my current post-graduate study partly because 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 (such as NDIS policies) whilst promoting the use of the arts in healthcare”.
We are delighted to welcome Tara as a Presenter in the 2021 Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat.
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
Your host, Dr Carla van Laar is a Professional Member and Accredited Supervisor with ANZACATA.
This training event is proudly endorsed by PACFA for 11 hours of continuing professional development.
We welcome Professor Anne (Dan) Harris, Director of Creative Agency Research Lab, ARC Future Fellow, Associate Dean, Research & Innovation, School of Education, RMIT University.
Profits from this forum/retreat will be donated to support CATA’s work employing qualified Arts Therapists to work with families of children receiving end of life care.
$600 registration fee covers core program, Friday night Welcome Dinner, morning and afternoon teas, and is payable in 3 instalments.
Registration does not include accomodation or meals other than the Welcome Dinner.
The core program includes Welcome Dinner, morning mindful activities, 6 x keynote presentations, 6 x 1.5 hour experiential workshops and a number of optional wellness activities for self-care including dance, art making, swimming and walking. Surfing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding and Snorkelling are available as optional add ons at affordable prices.
This forum supports the goals of the ACTivate Arts Therapy campaign – to have Arts Therapists recognised as mental health professionals.For this purpose, the forum is designed to be educational in an experiential sense – by providing opportunities to participate first hand in creative and holistic workshops and activities, as well as hear from dynamic keynote presenters and a panel of lived experience experts.
Experience for yourself how:
Creative practices support mental health
Contemporary Arts Therapists are working to promote and recover mental wellbeing
Arts Therapies are inclusive, holistic, trauma-informed and socially relevant.
The 2021 Creative Mental Health Forum and Self-care Retreat is an opportunity to look after yourself and learn while enjoying good company and restorative time in the living world.
It is hosted only two hours drive from Melbourne in the beautiful surrounds of the Bass Coast Bunurong Marine Park and township of coastal Inverloch.
This Professional Development event is suitable for Therapists interested in understanding more about creative approaches in mental health care.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CREATIVE MENTAL HEALTH FORUM AND SELF CARE RETREAT
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