When we come to therapy there is usually a sense of movement desired, whether that is because of diagnosed mental illness, neurodivergences, trauma and disability; I’ve found that these categories only ever scratch the surface of the multitudes of experiences for the people who carry them and can become somewhat redundant in the therapeutic space.

What is the aim of therapy?

I think it is very personal and I think it is not my decision to make. I don’t think it should always be framed around “recovery” and getting “better”. Therapy can look like:

-        Learning to navigate a world that isn’t always built for you

-        Unlearning history that makes us feel small, insignificant or problematic

-        Finding a space of for self, maybe self-acceptance and maybe self-celebration, away from expectations from others

-        Navigating the uniqueness of your experiencing and finding strength in this to move forward

-        Space to BE, without aims or goals, where the art making and relationship is the focus

-        Processing past experiences; processing might look different for everyone

-        A place to LEARN, art or craft, creativity, build skills and discover interests that make your heart sing

-        A soft cocoon to be sad, mad, happy or anxious in

These are a small collection of what therapy can look like, and I think it’s important to note that verbal communication is a tiny portion of the ways we connect, and so this isn’t always at the forefront of sessions and doesn’t need to be.