A Lifelong Journey Through Creativity, Mental Health and Healing

My Professional Path

My professional journey began in mental health nursing, where I understood how much can remain unspoken when people are experiencing psychological distress or trauma.

In 1995 I began developing Art Therapy programs for veterans experiencing PTSD. I worked with veterans from Vietnam, and later with those who had served in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq.

I completed a Master of Arts in Arts Therapy at Edith Cowan University. I went on to develop and establish Art Therapy programs within mental health services, including Hollywood Clinic in Perth.

Clinical Experience

Over three decades, I have worked with people experiencing:

Trauma and PTSD • Mood disorders • Eating disorders • Substance use • Grief and loss • Identity issues • A wide range of psychological challenges

I developed an Art Therapy group for wives of Vietnam veterans, funded by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Beyond the Clinical

My interest extended beyond those receiving treatment to those providing it. A Quality Project I led at Hollywood Clinic explored the artwork of members of the trauma team.

This research highlighted the impact of secondary and vicarious trauma on therapists themselves — work that directly informs what I offer health professionals today.

I have lectured in Art Therapy at Edith Cowan University and regularly supervised Art Therapy students and professionals.

A Path with Art — Kashmir Project

In 2010 I established a community-based Art Therapy program in Kashmir: A Path with Art — Expressing Untold Kashmir.

The program developed workshops and training for people and young people affected by trauma and the ongoing impact of conflict. The work was recognised with a Mental Health Good Outcomes Award in 2010.

Churchill Fellowship

In 2012 I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to research international approaches and best practice in creative therapies and trauma recovery in the United States and Israel.

What Remains Constant

After 32 years of hospital-based clinical work, I have entered a new chapter. I am bringing together what I have learned through mental health, trauma, creativity and Art Therapy into offerings and creative experiences beyond the hospital setting.

I have always been interested in what becomes possible when people are given a safe space to create.

Art can offer another language. An image can sometimes express something that words cannot yet reach. Music, colour, movement, symbolism, writing and the natural world can open different doors into experience.

I don't stand outside the creative process giving instructions. I create alongside you. I make art, experiment, take risks, get curious and allow myself not to know exactly where an image is going. Because that is part of the creative journey.

My Credentials

Master of Arts in Arts Therapy — Edith Cowan University

Mental Health Nursing background

Professional member: Australia and New Zealand Art Therapy Association (ANZACATA)

Churchill Fellowship (2012)