Hello from Sam
I am an art psychotherapist, EMDR practitioner, specialist teacher in learning, engagement and inclusion and clinical supervisor. My work brings together psychotherapy, creative practice, education and trauma-responsive support, shaped by 30 years of professional experience across schools, studio, community and specialist settings. I work with children, young people, families, schools and service providers, offering relational, creative and more-than-verbal approaches to therapy, personalised learning approaches, reflection and growth.
HEARTH Studios reflects the different threads of my professional life and a lifelong connection to image, story and place.
Hearth Studios is also home to Luna, my desert dog and beloved sidekick. She will not usually be on site when clients visit; however, allergies should be kept in mind if you are considering therapy here.
A creative, therapeutic and educational pathway
I began my career in art and education in the UK, working with children and young people in specialist and alternative education settings before moving into specialist SEN support and consultation for the Warwickshire Education Authority.
This work included supporting students with complex learning, emotional, behavioural, developmental, and social needs, and working with schools, families, and professionals to better understand what lay beneath a child or young person’s presentation.
Increasingly drawn to therapeutic work, I completed my Master’s in Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy at the University of Hertfordshire. Over time, my practice has involved supporting people with complex, layered life experiences, including disability, disrupted care, trauma, exploitation and social adversity.
Now living in Australia, my work continues to focus on complex presentations, disability-related support needs, neurodevelopmental profiles, overlapping diagnoses, trauma and PTSD, child protection and out-of-home care experiences, and the relational impact of early adversity.
Throughout this work, I have a particular interest in attachment, communication, emotional expression, and the environments that help people feel safe, understood, and able to engage.
How I work
My approach spans therapy, education and supervision, with creative expression, relationship and reflection woven through each part of my work.
I aim to stay flexible, thoughtful and responsive, looking beyond barriers, labels or fixed ways of working to meet the person at the centre of the therapy, educational support or supervision.
Whether working with a child, young person, adult, family, school, or professional, I hold the whole person in mind, including their story, relationships, communication, environment, body-based responses, creative expression, and ways of making meaning.
Qualifications and registrations
Master’s in Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy, University of Hertfordshire, UK. Professional memberships and registrations with both ANZACATA and PACFA.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Clinical supervisor
Specialist teacher in learning, engagement and inclusion
Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Secondary Art and Design/SEN, Birmingham University, UK
Bachelor of Arts with Honours, Fine Art, Coventry University, UK
Registered teacher in Victoria and the UK
Professional memberships and registrations include ANZACATA, PACFA and EMDRAA
Additional Training and Focus Areas
Interactive Drawing Therapy (IDT)
ANZACATA Supervision Training
DBT
Trauma-informed Play Therapy
Applying Attachment Theory in Clinical Practice
Applying Attachment Theory in Schools
Somatic Therapy for Complex Trauma
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) Level 1
Complex Trauma Certification Training Level 1 & 2
Advanced Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents
Begin with a conversation
You are welcome to make contact, ask questions, or discuss whether HEARTH Studios may be a suitable fit for you, your child, your family, your school or your professional practice.
Yuendumu Stories Exhibition - Hearth Galleries
Aussie Desert Dogs
Tanamai
Mornington Peninsula Palette
Bush Tucka
Yuendumu footy night
Yuendumu football
