Online Creative Self-Care Workshop for Therapists

Next ONLINE workshop: Saturday 18th April 2020 2-5pm

As a psychotherapist or counsellor, you’re brilliant at giving out care, attention and time, and putting other people’s needs first – but what about your own needs? Have you been juggling too many balls and ignoring your own self-care? Perhaps a part of you knows you can’t keep going on this way. You need some nourishing, restorative ‘me-time’!

Get online to join me and a small group of other warm-hearted, thoughtful therapists on a rich, peaceful afternoon brimming with exploration and enjoyment. We’re aiming to purposefully create a space where you can begin to reconnect with your creativity and nourish your sense of self.

This self-care workshop is for you if:

• You know that recently your self-care hasn’t been optimal, and you want to change that
• You’d love to kick-start a new, more creative phase in your life
• You want to treat yourself to a refreshing afternoon of connection, reflection and self-discovery

What to expect

This will be a warm, private and quietly welcoming online workshop. We’ll be using art materials, and accessing our imagination through relaxation techniques and creative visualisation.  There’ll be a balance between:

• solo activities in which you’ll work uninterrupted so that you can get absorbed in your own unique meaningful process; and
• periods of group discussion. You will not be expected to share anything that you’d rather keep private.

Outcomes

You can expect to leave the workshop with:

• A clearer idea of what you need in terms of self-care, and how to give it to yourself
• Some artwork that you have made which has personal meaning for you
• The knowledge that you have given yourself the precious gift of time and attention

It really doesn’t matter if you haven’t used art materials since you were at school. The important thing is that you are open to having a go!

I will be working to create an atmosphere in which you feel safe to connect with your creative side, and there will be an emphasis on curiosity, openness and acceptance (you can breathe easy and let go of memories of difficult art teachers from your past: we won’t be judging or criticising people’s creations!)

Click here to read my article ‘Floating Your Boat: Self-Care for Therapists and Counsellors’.

Where, when, what:

• Where: Online, from your home!
• How: We will use the Zoom platform (I will email you the link to the workshop; you will also need to download the Zoom platform if you haven’t already)
• When: Saturday 18th April 2-5pm
• Time: 2pm-5pm UK time (9am-12pm Eastern Standard time)
• Cost: £35 (around $42)
• You’ll need: Simple art materials, like felt-tips, crayons/pastels, paints (basic children’s paints are fine), magazines for cutting up, scissors & glue, paper
• CPD certificates available (3 hours)
• Please note that this event is only for psychotherapists, counsellors and Art Therapists
• Places are limited to eight participants only

What participants have said about the previous in-person version of ‘Creative Self-Care for Psychotherapists and Counsellors’:

‘Wow, what a brilliant, creative, moving and thought-provoking day. I have loved the exercises, the setting, and above all, the people.’

‘Emma was a grounded facilitator containing the process in a professional boundaried way while providing the practical nurturing and support. Thank you.’

‘Just spending this day has been great self-care in itself. However it’s also given me lots to take away and reflect on; new things to offer my clients; and inspiration to be braver in my creativity. Thank you! I wouldn’t change anything. The level of content was spot-on, and lots of different ways to work.’

‘Thank you Emma… for

• A gentle firm presence
• Well prepared, organised and good supplies
• Enabling and facilitating an ease in connecting quite deeply in the group… this I believe always is either blocked or facilitated by the leader…
• It was “just right” for me, and the food was too.
• Keep developing these groups!’

‘A fascinating process that enabled me to connect to a place within and explore what I need. When so much of my time is spent on what others need, it continues to be work in progress.’ 

‘Took me a while to shake off the outside and bring me into the quiet of my self. There have been a few surprises that have come up, often in my awareness of the things that find their way through and have the impact that they do on my life. The day also helped me trust my instincts and to keep in touch with this part of my self. A well run day, thank you. Time to share, and to listen and care for self and others too.’

‘I felt safe and actually was able to relax and go with the exercises. Can’t think of anything I didn’t like and although it felt quite hard, for various reasons, to get here, I’m glad I did. I feel as if I have overcome some of my fear and challenged the old belief that I’m not creative.’

‘Thank you Emma. I really liked:

• The pace and good time-keeping
• The quality of the materials you provide
• Lunch!
• Very permission-giving’

‘The day went really quickly. The exercises were deep but at the end I felt light and bright. I’ve learnt some very good tools to take home with me. THANK YOU!’

‘I really enjoyed the day and will take a lot away to ponder on. Very surprised and enlightened by what came up and with the use of paints and props. Thank you. Much for me and also for my clients.’

‘I felt the different exercises resulting in the image making really connected me to my inner self and where the self nurture is most needed.’

‘The day reminded me and reconnected me to the power of creatively using art and play to reach what really matters. The venue, refreshments and group facilitation were all very good. Thank you.’

‘I really gained a great deal of insight at this workshop – about my Self, about how I interact with others, and my relationship with creativity.’ 

‘The atmosphere was warm and accepting – Emma’s facilitation was positive, encouraging and unobtrusive. The setting is perfect – a very good space.’

‘The day was self-care in itself – but with a difference: it was self-care in the company of others.’ 

‘To be able to explore and express in safety, to hear and to see myself and others has been a valuable lived experience. Emma’s facilitation came with a light touch and a sure hold. Thank you.’