The role of a holistic counsellor holds many facets, some of which are to hold space, to walk alongside clients, and to provide tools to empower a client’s own healing journey.

Heal & Bloom Creative Therapy sees being a holistic counsellor as a way to be part of a wellness team for clients. Just as we see a dentist for our teeth, or a PT for our fitness, the holistic counselor is just one branch of the many that make up the tree of a human’s wellbeing team.

Conventional counseling often works on a vertical relationship between the practitioner & the client, where the practitioner is the expert who has all the answers. However holistic counseling works on a horizontal relationship where the practitioner and client have mutual respect for one another, is based on equality, and is collaborative in approaching issues together. This approach is judgement-free, and requires deep listening, open dialogue and use of gentle tools such as mindfulness, creative expression or sensory awareness to support clients in their personal transformation.

Creative Art Therapy is a healing modality within psychotherapy or holistic councelling, which uses art based techniques to explore & express emotions, thoughts, memories and feelings.

Types of creative art therapy include art, music, dance, drama, poetry or writing therapy.

Creative Art Therapy accesses the right hempisphere of the brain, which is responsible for imagination, creativity, emotions, intuition, and stores memories through the senses (sound, touch, smell, vision).

The right brain is what activates when trauma occurs, leaving the left side deactivated.

While talk therapy is valuable, sometimes there are no words to describe or access emotions and feelings that need to be processed in order to start the healing journey.

A session begins with a check in, and then is usually structured around a main activity involving creative expression, after which a discussion takes place. This allows for exploring any thoughts, feelings emotions or memories that came up during the experience.

• Self expression

• Improves emotional or cognitive functions

• Creates self awareness

• Builds self esteem

• Provides a sense of achievement & empowerment

• Encourages social skills

A Creative art therapy practitioner: 

• holds space in a holistic setting, acts as a guide & helps you process feelings & emotions.

• uses art-based materials, exercises & activities to aid in the improvement of physical, mental & emotional well-being.

• does not teach you how to make art, nor do they decipher what your art means.

• encourages individuals to form insight, self empowerment and goal setting.

• offers their services in the form of group sessions, or private individual sessions.