The Open Studio-informed Approach
The Open Studio-informed approach places art-making and the relationship with materials at the centre of the therapeutic experience, while allowing conversation and reflection to develop naturally alongside the creative process.
What an Open Studio-informed approach means
Sessions do not always begin with a predetermined art activity. You are offered choice and space to work with the materials in a way that feels relevant to you, and the session can move between making, observing, speaking and reflecting.
Unhurried sessions allow time to arrive, engage with materials, reflect and close the session thoughtfully.
Choice with therapeutic support
The studio generally offers freedom to choose materials, subject matter and pace. At the same time, therapy is not simply unstructured art-making. I remain actively present in the process and may offer a question, reflection, material, creative invitation or additional structure when it feels therapeutically useful.
Art and words together
The therapeutic work is not limited to either art or conversation. Sometimes the artwork communicates something before words are available. Sometimes talking helps make sense of what has emerged during the creative process. Conversation is welcome, and so is silence. There is no fixed sequence.
The artwork is not decoded
I do not look at an image and decide what it "means", and artwork is not interpreted using predetermined symbolic meanings. Meaning is explored collaboratively, and you remain the expert on your own experience.
How it differs from an art class
An art class
An art class usually focuses on technique, learning a skill or creating a particular outcome, often guided towards a finished piece.
Art therapy
Art therapy focuses on experience, expression and the therapeutic process within a professional relationship. There is no requirement to create a technically successful or attractive artwork.
What a session can look like
You might paint, draw, work with clay, tear and glue paper, or simply sit with the materials until something invites you in. Some people work in silence, others like to talk while their hands are busy. Both are welcome. The studio holds paint, pastels, clay, collage materials and natural found objects, and everything is provided.
This approach may suit adults, teens and children, and can be a gentle starting point for people who find talk-based therapy difficult. Read more about sessions for adults, teens and children, or read the frequently asked questions.
Curious about the Open Studio-informed approach?
You are welcome to get in touch to ask a question or arrange a brief introductory conversation before deciding on the next step.