Art Psychotherapy, Supervision & Education Consultancy

Creative and expressive therapies and clinical supervision for children, young adults, families and schools across the Mornington Peninsula.

At HEARTH Studios, art-making and the creative process sit at the heart of therapy, unfolding through play and open-ended, sensory and embodied exploration across physical, natural and digital spaces. This invites experimentation, reflection and discovery, creating space to explore experiences, make connections and develop new understanding in ways that are meaningful to each person.

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome to HEARTH. I am Sam Gummer, an Art Psychotherapist, EMDR Practitioner, Specialist Teacher and Clinical Supervisor, as well as an artist and photographer. HEARTH brings together these different threads of my professional life and my longstanding connection with creativity, image and story.

My approach has been shaped by more than 30 years of experience across therapy, education, schools and specialist services. Central to my work is an understanding that people communicate, learn, process and express themselves in many different ways. I created HEARTH as a place where children, young people, adults, families and professionals can explore, reflect, learn and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their experiences.

Feel free to look around and find out more about HEARTH and creative, more than verbal approaches to therapy.

Therapy at HEARTH

HEARTH Studios blends art therapy, EMDR, psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and tailored educational initiatives with warmth and creativity, fostering a genuine curiosity for every individual. The approach is client-centred, relational, and trauma-responsive, cultivating a dynamic therapeutic environment that honours each person's unique story, interests, experiences, needs, and communication styles.

Children, young people, adults, and families are warmly welcomed, offering support for a range of challenges such as trauma, attachment disruption, emotional distress, neurodevelopmental differences, disability-related needs, and complex life experiences. At HEARTH, there is no pressure to engage in any particular way; the unique experiences, processing styles, and communication methods of each individual are respected and celebrated.

HEARTH Studios is proud to support NDIS participants of all ages, providing art therapy that enhances functional capacity in alignment with personal goals. This includes autistic individuals across all levels of support needs, as well as those with psychosocial disabilities, complex co-occurring diagnoses, and various learning, medical, or physical disabilities. Therapy remains flexible and individualised, accommodating participants who may communicate without speech or require significant assistance in their daily lives.

Therapy, Education & Supervision

  • Art Therapy

    Inclusive, person-centred art therapy and play that honours identity, individuality, and lived experience through creative, expressive, trauma-responsive practice. Suitable for all ages.

  • Education and Learning

    Specialist, affirming support for school-aged children, providing individual learning and wellbeing profiles, consultation, and strategies for learning, engagement, participation and inclusion.

  • EMDR

    EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, to support the processing of traumatic or distressing experiences. Suitable for all ages.

  • Clinical Supervision

    Supportive supervision for therapy, health, mental health and education professionals. providing a reflective space for clinical thinking, ethical practice, professional growth, and wellbeing.

Membership & Registration

HEARTH Therapy Studios provides functional capacity-building therapy for self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants.

Arts therapy remains available as a funded NDIS support, including Therapeutic Supports and Early Childhood Supports. Early Childhood Supports: 15_610_0128_1_3 Art Therapy for participants aged 9 and older: 15_610_0118_1_3

Billing is guided by the current ANZACATA NDIS line item guidance.

I acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and recognise their unique relationship with the land and water. I also recognise that the Mornington Peninsula is home to the Boon Wurrung/Bunurong members of the Kulin Nation, who have lived here for thousands of years and have traditional connections and responsibilities to the land we walk on. I pay our respects to all Elders, past & present.

Always Was Always Will Be