Working with Complex and special Needs

ABOUT ART PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH PEOPLE WITH COMPLEX NEEDS or ARE MINORS/DEPENDENTS

Art Therapy, also known as Art Psychotherapy, is a way to enable connection and expression through creative relationship, to wonder and suggest meaning to behaviour, and where trauma is seen and worked through. The inexpressible becomes expressed.

Art Therapy also offers ways of understanding the inner world to those in the world around a person, as well as the person themselves. It is very beneficial for trauma work as it readily invites a gentle pace, without verbal/issue focussed emphasis and from which to develop a safe and stable foundation on which to build the trust needed for playful risk taking and growth. Humour, humanity and flexibility are integral to this process. Old style ‘blank-screen’ psychotherapy has no place in Alison’s way of working! She will incorporate what is needed….be that co-working with your parent present until you feel able to stay in the room alone, or working from your coffee table in your lounge because you can’t leave your home yet, walking to Costa with you where you feel safest outdoors and on a known route, or working alongside you on your computer where you spend most of your time keeping yourself calm and happy looking at images of your favourite characters. These examples are all based in real moments with real people. The list goes on - we will start where you need to start and develop out from this place. It can look unorthodox and maybe not like therapy - but it very much is, as Alison is thinking, watching, hypothesising, trying out, playing, respecting and collaborating in creating a working space between you.

Alison has been qualified and practicing for almost 30 years, within MDT’s, schools, hospitals and complex services working with psychological/emotional/ developmental trauma, learning and physical disabilities, acute and chronic mental ill-health and social context influences. Alison has experience of nursing and teaching prior to becoming a therapist and works in a trauma-informed, child/person- centred, subtle empathy-attuned and play oriented way.

Consideration of Attachment/trauma and developmental theory, ACE’s, neurobiology, psychology, play and creativity are fundamental aspects of the work.