About
Hello, I am Kate.
I qualified with an M.A. in Art Therapy from the University of Hertfordshire in July 2011. Since then, I have worked in a variety of settings including both primary and secondary schools, community projects, charities and the NHS.
I live and work in Bristol and work predominantly with children, young people and their families. I cemented this specialism with a later M.A. from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in ‘Working with children and families: a psychoanalytic, observational approach’ (M7) in 2019.
I worked for 7 years in a specialist service for children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse, building my experience of working with complex trauma and had a chapter published in Marian Liebmann’s book ‘Arts Therapies and Sexual Offending’, covering some of the learning I developed during this time.
I am qualified to work with people with a wide range of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, attachment and relationship difficulties, familial separation, self-harm, school refusal and psychosomatic illness, and have a special interest in working with trauma and sexual abuse.
I frequently find myself supporting parents and working with them alongside their child. As a parent myself, I have first-hand experience of the profound impact this role can have on our emotional world, triggering our own history and internal dialogue. I offer a non-judgemental reflection space for any parent who may need it, alongside or separate to their child or young person.
What is Art Therapy?
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy which uses art as a medium to aid expression and explore the unconscious. Often, creative expression can hold thoughts and feelings which do not yet have words. Together with the therapist, artwork and play can be looked at to explore what can be seen, find hidden meanings or make connections. It can also be returned to as a record of the session, or the journey of therapy. Children predominantly use play and creativity to explore and make sense of the world around them; even pre-verbally. This makes it an ideal medium by which to explore the impact of trauma and deep-rooted emotional issues, as it does not require verbalisation, which can sometimes be too painful or inaccessible.
No prior experience or skill in art is necessary and all sessions are non-directive; each individual can use the space and materials in any way they choose.