Who I am
Before training as an art psychotherapist, I spent 10 years in corporate retail developing cultural change programmes, followed by 12 years as a primary school teacher. This has given me a deep understanding and curiosity of people and culture — how individuals and groups grow, resist, and change. I draw on this varied background, and my experience designing and delivering leadership and teaching programmes, to build trusting relationships and support people in reaching their own goals.
I am a fully trained psychodynamic art psychotherapist, registered with both the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT).
My experience and practice
About me
I've always had a passion for art, using different materials to explore and process my own emotions long before I trained professionally. Becoming a qualified, HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapist has given me the privilege of helping others do the same: using art to express themselves, build self-awareness, and grow.
By creating images, we open a window into our internal world. Art brings a kind of "third person" into the room; something outside ourselves that can hold feelings too big or complicated for words alone. Explored together, this can ease painful or difficult emotions, deepen our understanding of them, and become a lasting reference point for change.
My approach is trauma-informed and attachment-based, grounded in the belief that safety and trust within the therapeutic relationship come first. Only once that foundation is in place can deeper exploration and processing happen safely.
Self portrait. Emma Everett-Ware.