RHA is delighted to announce a series of Art Therapy Taster sessions, facilitated by art therapist Andrea Clare Plunkett.
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a form of therapy that uses art media to express, reflect and communicate. You do not need to have any previous experience or expertise in art to benefit from art therapy. In gallery art therapy we spend time looking at RHA artworks then reflecting on your response to them through art.
Who is it for?
Art Therapy can be used across the lifespan; these RHA sessions are for those over 18 years and cater for all needs or requirements.
What are the benefits?
Art therapy is founded on the belief that creative self-expression has therapeutic value for those who seek a deeper understanding of themselves and their personalities. Art therapy sessions can help a vast array of common life experiences including social or generalised anxiety, relief of stress, facilitate life transitions such as moving to a new country or adjusting to retirement, can support explorations of gender and identity and can help artists who feel they have a creative block. Most importantly art therapy sessions offer a time to stop, relax and re-focus inward. *While these taster sessions won’t have the impact of long-term art therapy, they will allow you to get a sense of what a session is like. What will I do in the session? Each session is 2 hours in duration, attend one session or as many as you like. The session will begin by meeting with Andrea and other group members and completing a consent process, this will include adherence to Covid guidelines. Next, the group will move into the gallery space and look at a selection of artworks. Following this, time will be allowed in the studio to create your own artwork and reflect in an open, informal, non-judgmental, safe space. There will be lots of art materials to use. Andrea will help you along the way but what you make is up to you!. Andrea Clare Plunkett is an IACAT registered art therapist MSc trained in Ulster University, Belfast School of Art. Andrea works with groups in the RHA Gallery both online and face-to-face using an empowering client lead approach.For further information and booking, please email arttherapyireland@outlook.com or go to arttherapyireland.ie
