Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Its a big year

Well, how can two years have flown by without me recording what I have been doing.  Life is just busy I guess.

I have now set up a clinic in Tweed Heads called "Expressive Therapy Clinic". I facilitate groups and see private patients using art therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy and positive psychology.

So far clients seem to be responding well to the changes they have made in their lives and really love making and creating.

I have also begun training other Allied Health Professionals and it has been rewarding and also fun.  I have developed weekend courses in Art Therapy, DBT and Positive Psychology - These are very popular and I am booked out now until after June 20.

Another course I have developed is to help practitioners and anyone interested in art therapy, to learn about what Art Therapy is.  This is also run as an 8 week evening program and a weekend workshop.  First one starts on May 25, 2013 and bookings are going well.

Both these programs have been approved by Australian Social Workers Association, Australian Counselling Association, Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association and Australian Psychological Society for professional development points for their members - That was hard work but very exciting.

I have a busy few months ahead and I have others now working with me at Expressive Therapy Clinic.  Its great to work with like minded professionals, we are all into a very experiential way of working to help clients gain mental wellness.

I am looking forward to going to Melbourne to see my old friends from ANZATA at the 'Birds of a Feather' seminar in July.

I am running a Workshop using creativity DBT and Positive Psychology at the 14th International Mental Health Conference and hope soon to have my programs listed on their webpage.  The Conference is in Coolangatta in August, 2013.

I am also presenting a paper at the Australian Counselling Association Annual Conference in September 2013.
A client made this object out of found materials in the art cupboard.  She had suffered depression for many years and  had completed my course in Art Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.  She had also graduated from the 12 month DBT program.  Her comments after making this object were:
"Most of the time I feel like I am all tied up, strangled by twine, not able to express or be myself when I know there is beauty like the flowers and joy like the red string that is bursting out of the stem.  Having learnt the DBT skills and being able to express myself through art therapy I have something to remind me that the true me is still there" and ready to bloom."
This meaning the client found to her object is why I love working with art therapy, it is so easy for clients to show me and themselves what is underneath, while attending sessions in a safe contained therapeutic environment.

I keep you up to date again soon, now that I have started.

Megan Shiell

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