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We are pleased to introduce you to Annie!
An experienced Mental Health Art Therapist / Artist / Art Psychotherapist working primarily at the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at the Alfred Hospital!
We wanted to showcase some of the roles that are less heard of, and how they are involved in patient care and recovery just like that of nursing and medicine.
Introduction
My name is Annie, and I am an Art Psychotherapist/ Therapist.
A little bit about my background, I am an art psychotherapist and artist, from the UK (London/Bedfordshire). I am living and working in Melbourne for just over four years now as an artist/art psychotherapist. I work 4 days at the Inpatient Psychiatric unit at the Alfred Hospital.
Read about Annies Covid19 experience here
Where did you graduate?
I completed my Masters at Roehampton University, where I have a comprehensive understanding of theoretical aspects, covering child developmental and psychodynamic principles alongside art therapy theory and Jungian analytical psychology. This perspective is located within the broader field of analytical psychotherapy and has provided me with an in-depth theoretical underpinning that informs clinical practice. Through the art therapy ‘lens,’ I explore aesthetic-relational tools, observe changes in the art process, product, creator and the therapeutic relationship.
What is art therapy?
Arts therapies are traditionally based on psychodynamic or psychoanalytic principles as well as current evidence- and practice-based theoretical frameworks. These include—but are not limited to—humanistic, behavioural, depth analytic, systematic and integrative approaches. In short, Art Therapy processes are based on counselling frameworks and incorporate art into the dialogue as a mechanism for working through the concepts that clients bring to the therapeutic relationship.
What does a day in the life look like?
I provide many forms of art therapy to staff and consumers, individual and open groups using a range of art materials to help the process, for example, clay, craft, marbling and much more. I see my role to help my clients find a language in which they can communicate to their environment and themselves. Often we have learnt ways of avoiding issues that may feel too difficult, that we fear will be judged or have been suppressed, which can become unhelpful and leave us feeling stuck. With the aid of an art therapist using art as a communication tool can bypass this, allowing access to implicit memories and thoughts.
Depending on the day it can begin by attending hand over, facilitating a ‘coffee on the couch’, then doing groups on the unit or HDU. Open groups are run on the psychiatric ward, due to the short term nature of stay. Open groups mean group members can change from week to week and do not need to attend regularly, they can be ongoing, and while individual members can work on long-term goals, each session tends to be more contained and focused on a specific theme or idea for that day.
Some of the groups I run are ‘The Woman’s Craftanoon: an Art therapy group’, where women just as they have throughout time use craft to express, comfort and connect to others. ‘The Reconnection Workshops’, where patients can develop and explore their spirituality through creative expression, reconnecting with mind, body and soul. These workshops aim for you to ground through exploring creative writing, art materials and natural materials, including clay. ‘The Creative Calm Studio’: here patients and loved ones can explore their creative projects or the activity offered that does not rely on the final product created but on the therapeutic, meditative ritual of the creative process. Guided relaxation exercise to introduce the themes of mindfulness, meditation, resources and personal strengths. After art and connection, I couldn’t go without my other top healer be in the therapeutic space – a cup of tea J
I also provide individual art therapy sessions and see one patient in the community.
art doesn’t judge us…
Who is Art Therapy for?
Art Therapy can be for everyone. I believe a lot of people come to therapy because they need help with looking for or understanding something. This could be from self-awareness to self-esteem, a way to safely articulate a feeling or a trapped memory. Through the art therapy process, they can build a connection to themselves through the art materials.
Where I have seen Art Therapy really work is where clients have come to me, and tell me “I am not good at art and I am not creative – so I don’t know how this is going to help” which leads to the next question… (You don’t have to be good at art)
What are the biggest misconceptions about your field from the public and also the broader health community?
You have to be good at art, or it’s an art class.
Arts Therapies differ from traditional artmaking in the sense that the emphasis is on the process of meaning-making and creating that occurs rather than on the aesthetics of the finished product. It is not an art lesson or a recreational activity, nor does it require any previous art experience. What Art Therapy can do is provide opportunities for clients to engage creatively with art materials, others and their own emotional and mental states when verbal interaction becomes difficult.
Therefore art therapy works brilliantly for those who feel they aren’t creative and/ or have lost touch with their colour. Through the sessions, nervous simple line drawings turn to bold splashes of watercolour as their confidence in themselves grows and they discover what they need.
To put it simply – art doesn’t judge us. Once trust starts to build in the space, changes start to happen – art materials can listen and communicate back to us what we may need to see. I’ve seen severely depressed people choosing bright colours because that’s what they needed, a middle-aged man cover the page in water for all the tears he had locked up and withdrawn people with such low self-esteem using glitter and college to shout on their page what they want and at the end say “I never thought I could do this, my painting has inspired me” to then feedback to that person – you did that. The art process brings us embodied learning.
Did you have a career before you started this?
I spent time in mental health – working in a low secure unit and community work. This was as a support worker, a psychology assistant and activity coordinator. This gave me the work experience and clinical hours to enrol in my chosen masters. While in my Masters, I took up many spare jobs to pay for the thing, from managing a bakery to cleaning to being a live-in Nanny. Still not quite sure how I managed to get out the other side.
Art is fundamental in our human nature, going back to the dawn of human existence.
What are the benefits of art therapy?
Many studies have confirmed the effectiveness of using art therapy—particularly in a psychiatric setting: it allows consumers to think about what they’re doing, and develop themselves, as well as decreasing negative psychiatric conditions. It can also be an excellent way to teach problem-solving skills, self-awareness, mindfulness, increase socialisation, and promote a range of other physical benefits and well-being.
I love Art Psychotherapy because it brings my two contraries together – art and psychotherapy – feeling and science. I think the most important part of knowing if therapy is working is you can ‘feel it’. However, if we want to use a more scientific language – let’s look at Art Therapy from a neuro-scientific perspective. Art-as-therapy helps EEG rhythms to increase in alpha frequency, thus decreasing behavioural symptoms of anxiety is more concrete.
Making artworks that hold emotion aims to help promote brain activity in the limbic system and simultaneously engage the hippocampus, consequently encouraging enhanced cognitive performance.
The unique features and highly sensory medium of sensory art materials for example clay in an art therapy setting opens many possibilities. With a range of somatosensory qualities of clay including the prominent experiences of touch and physicality. There are unique perceptual and decision-making responses, creating empowerment and choice. The “complex coordination of different cortical regions” of the brain are activated. With unconscious self-regulation through playing with clay i.e. massaging, smoothing, pounding, building and shaping. Letting clay become a tool for self-soothing for patients and staff. [Elbrecht, 2012; 2015).
What are some of the most important traits for someone working in your field?
Having a non-judgmental ear, being able to have good self-care and boundaries.
What is some advice/thing’s others can do to prepare themselves better to get a job and work in your field?
Have individual Art Psychotherapy yourself- – make sure your practitioner is ANZACATA registered if having the sessions in Australia.
How do you destress after a shift and self-care?
Engaging in my hobbies/ doing things I like, which is – Painting, gardening, a face mask and bath, playing my guitar badly, basically pottering around my house.
What is something exciting you are planning?
I would love to set up an Art Therapy retreat in the country – Daylesford, anyone? I have it all mapped out in my mind.
What would you do if you weren’t an artist?
Easy – painting every day, making it as an artist and if that didn’t work out, I love Interior design.
What are the most difficult parts of your area of work?
The system! And the misconceptions of Art Therapy/Psychotherapy in Australia.
What are the most rewarding parts of your area of work?
Seeing patients realise and recognise their emotions safely for the first time in a long while—this and building their self-esteem.
What made you choose Art Therapy?
For me, language was difficult and never felt enough, Art, however, has always given me a sense of identity, the only place I felt a sense of understanding and emotionally held was with my brushes and crayons. I always loved working with people, people’s behaviours and psychology.
Therefore when completing my degree in Fine Art at Aberystwyth School of Art (Wales) I started to look at my psychology and how art helped with this. When I discovered Art Psychotherapy from this, it seemed perfect. This was cemented when I had Art Therapy for personal reasons, and I have never looked back.
Art is fundamental in our human nature, going back to the dawn of human existence. We can take symbols and metaphors, and break them down, forming our life into safe expression when words are too hard to communicate. Consumers can see and recognise their emotions, allowing the team to develop management and coping strategies, while visually tracking their progress effectively. Consumers themselves have even commented on the treatment’s effectiveness, noting that it provides a way to explore their feelings, express themselves safely to their treating team, and release frustrations.
Humans at the end of the day seek connection and acceptance, and that’s what art in therapeutic space can provide.
Art Therapy links:
Instagram @anniefoxesart
Website: www.kaleidoarttherapy.com
Art links:
Instagram @anniefoxesart
Website www.anniefoxesart.com
Finally some good links to read!
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPszGBfjuOY
Guardian article:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/11/sectioned-mental-health-problems-art-saved-me
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