My creative approach
My creative approach in the workshops
In each session, I introduce a seasonal theme from nature to gently guide the experience. We explore the symbolism within it, noticing how the natural world can reflect something deeper about our own lives and our healing processes. At times, this may also include yearly milestones such as solstices and equinoxes, or local natural folklore.
I then lead a visualisation on this theme, giving you space to slow down and take a closer look in your imagination. An image or feeling may begin to stand out. From there, you can spend some quiet time exploring this through simple art-making. If you choose to upload your image to the group’s Padlet page, others can witness a part of your experience, and a gentle sense of self-discovery can begin to unfold.
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For many women, it can be difficult to talk about what really matters with family or friends. There is often very little space to focus on yourself, or to hear your own voice clearly. In this group, there is room for you to share and to be heard.
The relaxation and visualisation help to soothe your nervous system and soften the constant movement of thoughts, so you can begin to listen inwardly. The art-making then offers a way to explore what you find, without needing to explain everything in words. Often, what has felt unclear or out of reach becomes more visible on the page in front of you.
Making art in itself has been shown to reduce cortisol, but it also allows you to draw on the depth of knowledge you already hold within you about your needs, your feelings, and what matters to you now.
Theoretical influences
Green prescribing is becoming more common in the UK due to its positive impact on both mental and physical health. My workshops offer another way of connecting to nature, recognising that the same parts of the brain respond whether something is seen or imagined. This often encourages people to notice and engage more deeply with nature in their everyday lives.
Art therapy research continues to show how creative processes can reduce stress and help make the intangible visible. For many women who feel disconnected or unsure of what they need, this can offer a gentle way back into understanding themselves.
Somatic markers can be thought of as the body’s way of storing and signalling information from our past experiences. They often show up as subtle physical sensations, like a sinking feeling or a sense of unease, but they can be easy to miss or override. Through art-making, these invisible signals can begin to take shape on the page, allowing you to reflect on what your body already knows.
There is also a growing body of evidence supporting the use of visualisation. I use it to help develop a sense of empowerment, and to gently loosen the hold of unhelpful or self-critical stories that many women carry.
The paradoxical theory of change by Arnold Beisser has been an important influence on my work. It suggests that change happens when we stop trying to be something we are not. I see this often in the workshops, where, through acceptance and gentle exploration, something begins to shift without force.
My work is also informed by attachment theory, which highlights how early relationships shape how we connect, feel safe, and soothe ourselves as adults. Much of what I offer is centred around helping women find ways to experience comfort and soothing in everyday life, to feel more grounded in themselves, and to begin recognising their own value.
This is not about pushing for change, but about creating the conditions where change can happen naturally.
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My workshops offer another way of connecting to nature.