Arts Therapies

The Arts Psychotherapies include Art Therapy, Dramatherapy and Music Therapy. These Creative Therapies offer a unique form of psychological therapy, conducted in a safe and confidential relationship with a qualified Arts Therapist.

Using Arts Therapies can be particularly helpful when emotions are difficult to express verbally or when words are not enough or too much to bear.

Arts Therapists provide creative psychological therapy to clients of all ages - children, adults and older people - facing a range of issues, disabilities or diagnoses. These can include emotional or mental health problems, learning or physical disabilities; developmental disorders; physical illness or life limiting conditions.

An Arts Therapist does this by helping the individual to explore, express and experience themselves and their difficulties through psychological interventions using drama, music or arts-based activity as a primary method of communication and discovery.

Arts Therapists are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This means that they are required to meet national standards for their training, professional skills and behaviour.

Karen McDonald

Karen is an experienced Arts Psychotherapist, specialising in Dramatherapy. Dramatherapy integrates all aspects of the arts to offer a unique creative psychotherapy approach to Children & Adults with a broad spectrum of needs.

Karen has worked therapeutically within Mental Health, Education and Trauma specific settings. Her creative, compassionate, and mindful practice has helped people from ages 3 to 93, with emotional, psychological, and social difficulties. Karen is experienced working with people on the Autistic spectrum and with learning challenges.

Dramatherapy integrates all aspects of the arts to work therapeutically with you as a whole person. Sessions may include talking, art, music, story & character, therapeutic sand play, puppets, body & breath work, movement, and mindfulness.

Dramatherapy does not rely on a purely 'talking' approach. Therefore, it allows people the freedom to communicate in different ways and find your own way of working with Karen alongside you.