Introduction to Art Psychotherapy online

November 19th course: delivered online via Zoom or on campus. Please select your preferred mode of delivery.

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Please read the Short Courses Contract before signing up.

This one day workshop will introduce participants to some of the principles which underpin art therapeutic practice. Participants will be invited to engage in a range of art making process to explore their own personal symbols and unconscious imagery in a safe and playful environment. Links will also be made to theory and clinical practice and how insight derived from the workshop might develop the clinician’s understanding of non-verbal communication.

Course Description

This one day workshop will introduce participants to some of the principles which underpin art therapeutic practice. Participants will be invited to engage in a range of art making process to explore their own personal symbols and unconscious imagery in a safe and playful environment. Links will also be made to theory and clinical practice and how insight derived from the workshop might develop the clinician’s understanding of non-verbal communication.

This day provides direct experiential learning about art therapy and the ethos of the training on the MA Art Therapy Programme at Roehampton. It is therefore of interest to anyone wishing to find out more about training as an art therapist or artists wanting to explore art making in a unique environment

Participants should wear clothes that they are comfortable to make art in. A degree of active participation will be expected from all participants.

Online course presented by

Grigorios Tzouras MA Art Psychotherapy, BA (Hons) Fine Art HCPC registered, BAAT Full Member

Grigorios has been influenced by the theoretical and practical background of his Fine Arts degree which included philosophy and aesthetics, history of art and architecture and the exploration of both figurative and abstract artistic expression. Grigorios' Postgraduate Studies in Art Psychotherapy motivated him to investigate in art something more than the aesthetic value. He became interested in the ideas of alchemy, emotional interaction and symbolism, as well as physicality and properties of the materials.

Philosophy
"I have a strong personal belief that each chosen material and its specific usage has its own meaning and significance, expressing fundamental emotions through the creative process of art making. I draw a parallel between art making activities, combining a variety of art materials and the alchemy process of mixing and eventually transforming from the original base elements into something new. The final artefact is seen as a highly charged emotional investment, its physicality offering an external, concrete presence of man’s internal world. I am particularly interested in the interior dialogue triggered by the communication between the artefact and the artist during the creative process, which becomes a means for gaining self-knowledge and exercise in self-contemplation and analysis."

Experience
Grigorios is a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered Art Psychotherapist and a full member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) with experience of working in the National Health Service (NHS) with adults and young people, offering mental health care for patients with personal problems and severe mental health illnesses. He has also worked at Young Persons’ Services delivering a multi-component risk reduction programmes for young people who are vulnerable to risks taking behaviour including drug and alcohol use, early and unprotected sex and offending. Currently, he is employed by two NHS Trusts where he delivers group and individual art psychotherapy sessions and assessments at adult in-patient acute psychiatric units.Grigorios teaches Art Psychotherapy at both Foundation and Masters Level at the University of Roehampton in London, continuing to develop his identity as an artist, by maintaining his studio practice, commissioning art projects and taking part in art exhibitions and competitions.

 

On campus course presented by Amy Ison

Amy Ison is an art therapist and supervisor registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT). She completed her training (Goldsmiths) in 2008 and has undertaken additional training in systemic practice with families and couples and experiential training in community and psychotherapy. She has worked in adult mental health services for many years and in 2012 joined A Space, a charity which provides therapy services to children and families and consultation to school staff; she is a lead therapist and supervises MA students on clinical placement. She is a graduate of the Royal Drawing School and has an ongoing interest in applied psychoanalytic theory and integrated art and art therapy practice. She is a visiting lecturer for the MA in Art Psychotherapy at the University of Roehampton.