Trauma can affect how we think, feel, and move through the world. Experiences such as abuse, neglect, violence, loss, medical trauma, discrimination, or chronic stress can leave lasting emotional and physical imprints
Sometimes trauma lives in places that are hard to reach with words alone
Art therapy offers another way in
How Art Therapy Can Help
Working with images, colour, texture, and materials can help to:
- regulate your nervous system, reducing fight, flight, freeze and flop responses
- express feelings and experiences that feel hard to say out loud
- process memories safely and gradually
- reconnect with parts of yourself that trauma may have pushed aside
- develop a greater sense of agency and self-understanding
Soothing The Nervous System
Trauma can leave the nervous system feeling constantly on edge, or sometimes completely shut down. Many people find themselves moving between states of fight, flight, freeze, or flop without fully understanding why
Creative activity can help bring the nervous system back toward a steadier place
The physical act of making art, such as drawing, painting, tearing, shaping, or arranging materials, engages the body as well as the mind. Repetitive movements, sensory materials, and focused attention can support regulation and grounding
Is Art Therapy For You?
Art therapy for trauma can be helpful if you are:
• living with the effects of childhood trauma or complex trauma
• feeling disconnected from yourself or your emotions
• experiencing anxiety, shame, or persistent self-criticism
• navigating identity, safety, or belonging after difficult experiences
• wanting a gentler alternative to purely talking therapies
Many of the people I work with are queer, trans, and/or neurodivergent, and have experienced forms of trauma related to identity, marginalisation, misunderstanding or connection
If you’re curious about whether art therapy might be right for you, you’re welcome to get in touch
Session Details
£60 per 1 hour session
Online or in person available
Limited reduced cost sessions (please be aware these fill regularly)