Art Therapy/Psychotherapy on the Mornington Peninsula
Art therapy is an evidence-based allied health profession and a form of psychotherapy that uses creative expression, reflection and relationship to support emotional wellbeing, communication and change. It provides different ways to explore and communicate experiences that may be difficult to understand or put into words.
Sessions may include art-making alongside conversation, play, sensory materials, metaphor, story, movement or quiet reflection. There is no expectation to be good at art, create a finished artwork or explain what you make. The focus is on the creative process and what may emerge within the therapeutic relationship.
Creative expression can support regulation, exploration and understanding. It can offer a more-than-verbal, relational and embodied way of engaging in therapy, particularly when words feel difficult, are temporarily unavailable or are simply not enough.
Art therapy is used with people of all ages across mental health, disability, education, healthcare and community settings. At HEARTH Studios, Sam supports children, young people, adults and families. She has particular experience supporting people with neurodevelopmental differences, disability-related support needs, trauma and PTSD, attachment and relational difficulties, complex presentations, and concerns affecting learning, engagement and participation at school.
Sessions are shaped around each person’s needs, ways of communicating and what feels safe and meaningful to them.
HEARTH Studios offers art therapy and art psychotherapy for children, young people, adults and families on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Psychotherapy Element
Psychotherapy offers space to explore emotional experiences, relationships, patterns, trauma, identity, meaning and change within a supportive therapeutic relationship. Rather than focusing only on immediate strategies, it makes room for the whole person and the experiences that may sit beneath distress, behaviour or overwhelm.
In art therapy, the creative process is held and explored within the therapeutic relationship. Art-making is not simply an activity or technique, and images are not interpreted or analysed in isolation. Emotions, meanings, memories, sensations and relational patterns can be explored collaboratively, at a pace that feels manageable for the client.
Sam completed a three-year Master’s programme in Art Therapy/Psychotherapy in the UK, where in-depth psychotherapy was central to the training. This included supervised clinical practice, psychological theory, ethics, reflective practice and personal psychotherapy. Alongside many years of clinical experience, this training continues to underpin her psychotherapeutic approach to this day.
Referrals, NDIS & Private Clients
HEARTH Studios accepts referrals for children, young people and adults. This includes private clients, self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants, and referrals from services supporting children, young people and families.
NDIS participants may access art psychotherapy when it is included in their plan and relates to their disability support needs and goals. Sessions may support emotional regulation, communication, relationships, social connection, daily functioning, participation and functional capacity. Depending on the participant’s plan, funding may sit within Therapy Supports or Early Childhood Supports.
Referrals are also welcome from child and family services, the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA), The Orange Door, hospitals, schools and other community and support services.
Individuals, families, carers and professionals are welcome to contact HEARTH Studios directly to discuss availability, referral options and whether art psychotherapy may be a suitable fit.
