In expressive therapies and creative arts therapy you engage multiple senses to explore yourself through a range of modalities such as visual art, drama, dance, music, movement, and writing. The focus is on the process and not on the end result so you do not need any experience in the arts to benefit.
Art therapy is defined by the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA) as an “experiential, psychotherapeutic approach utilising creative modalities within a therapeutic relationship”.
Our art therapists work in a range of ways where you are supported to use art materials and creative techniques to explore a particular topic, issue or even a free choice art making activity. Usually the next step is to reflect on your artwork and talk with the therapist and or/ the group about what it means to you or what emerged through the process. Art therapy is unique as you can engage with the process with little or no words, thus making it an accessible modality for those who have limited verbal capacity or who may be too anxious or unable to speak. Our art therapists will offer a range of art materials each which has their own unique therapeutic properties where there has been research conducted that shows how different parts of the brain are stimulated and enhanced through the use of each material.
Art therapists cannot analyse your artwork- the meaning lies within you- the therapist can support you to talk about it and find your own meaning and connection. “Unhealed memories attach to artistic symbolic language through neurological function. The image becomes the message, the art expression becomes the sender, and the victim-artist becomes the receiver who translates the message into linguistic form.” (Spring, 2004, p. 206).
1* Spring, D. (2004). Thirty year study links neuroscience, specific trauma, PTSD, image conversion, and language translation. Art Therapy Journal of the American Art therapy Association, p.206.
Music therapy is a research-based practice and profession in which music is used to actively support people as they strive to improve their health, functioning, wellbeing and quality of life. Music therapists incorporate a range of music making methods within a therapeutic relationship. Music therapy is different from music education and entertainment. Music therapists are committed to supporting people of any age and ability regardless of musical skill, culture or background.
An individual or group music therapy session may include:
Listening to live or recorded music
Making music by playing an instruments or singing
Song writing, lyrics writing, song composition
Music for relaxation and stress relief
Developing music based resources and coping tools to use outside of sessions
Therapeutic music lessons
Sharing songs, song discussion, lyric analysis and music based counselling
Discussions around helpful and unhelpful uses of music
SECASA is the largest family violence and sexual assault service provider across the south-east metropolitan Melbourne.
If you are enquiring about your Appointment Time, please call one of the offices listed below:
03 9928 8741 East Bentleigh
03 8769 2200 Dandenong
03 8770 1000 Seaford
If you are in Crisis, please call SECASA on:
03 9594 2289 Crisis Line
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SECASA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples, and we pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future.
We welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex and queer people into SECASA. We pledge to provide inclusive non-discriminatory services to LGBTIQ+ clients.
SECASA acknowledges all victims/survivors of all forms of abuse and neglect.
