“Creative processes and experiential ways of knowing are central to our ways of working. Our use of more than verbal methods is what defines us.

Creative processes” are collaborative, exploratory, expressive, invitational, meaningmaking, multi-modal, and relational processes that engage people in more than verbal exchanges.

These processes utilise a range of practices including, but not limited to, drama, drawing, embodiment, engaging with nature, the environment and/or animals, movement, mindfulness, music, painting, play, sandplay, sculpting, and writing.

‘Experiential ways of knowing’ are the ways in which people come to know themselves and the world. Experiential knowing is characterised by the knowing that occurs through doing, being immersed in the present moment and multi-sensory experiencing in the here and now.

Experiential knowing prioritises lived and living subjective experiences as our primary sources for understanding ourselves and our relationships in and with the world” (PACFA, 2023).

“Creative Arts Therapy is an experiential psychotherapeutic approach offered by qualified practitioners utilising a range of creative modalities. It is holistic - attending to emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual well-being and aligns well with indigenous and non-indigenous models of health and well-being” (ANZACATA, 2025).

Overall, Creative & Experiential Counselling will help you to reduce anxiety, improve self-awareness, experience healing, and find new pathways towards improved lifestyle choices and experiences.

Creative & Experiential Counselling (CEC) supports people of all ages: children, adolescents, adults, and older adults.

Chrissie has witnessed positive progress for clients experiencing a broad range of neurological, chronic and mental health, challenges. These have included, Panic disorder, agoraphobia, dementia, depression, C/PTSD, psychosis, ABI, nueordivergence, intellectual disabilities, chronic fatigue etc.

Neurodivergence & Developmental Needs (Autism, ADHD, Intellectual Disability):

Standard talk therapy often forces neurodivergent people to communicate in ways that cause sensory overload and cognitive fatigue. By using multi-modal practices like drawing, movement, and play, clients process experiences through their own natural sensory profiles without the pressure to mask, perform eye contact, or rely on verbal processing.

Complex Mental Health & Clinical Conditions

Anxiety, panic, and deep trauma live in the nervous system and are often impossible to explain in words. CEC practices engage the body in the "here and now," using grounding, embodiment, and mindful sensory exercises to safely down-regulate the nervous system and give physical shape to internal states without re-traumatising the client.

Children & School-Aged Development:

Children naturally learn and make sense of their world through doing, play, and imagination rather than abstract conversation. Using interactive tools, movement, and creative play allows young people to externalise big feelings, build self-regulation, and explore behavioural challenges in an age-appropriate, low-pressure way.

Adolescents & Young Adults:

Adolescents often feel put on the spot or defensive when asked to explain themselves verbally. CEC offer an indirect, invitational pathway to explore complex social pressures, trauma, identity, and body image without feeling interrogated.

Parenting Challenges & Family Dynamics:

Caregiver burnout and relational tension can’t be solved by intellect alone. Through active, collaborative exercises, education and creative exploration, parents gain present-moment awareness of their own emotional triggers and somatic stress responses, allowing them to practice real-time grounding tools and shift family communication patterns.

Chronic Illness, Physical Disability & Neurodegenerative Conditions

Cognitive decline and chronic health challenges alter a person's relationship with language, their body and others. Because CEC prioritises lived, multi-sensory experiences, using tactile materials, music, and nature therapy maintains connection, engages memory, activates Neural pathways, and honours personal dignity beyond spoken words.

Uncovering Suppressed Trauma & Patterns: Expressive mediums bypass rational filters to reveal stored trauma and protective habits (like overthinking or shutdown). Reflecting on the emerging imagery and key words provides a clear mirror to the subconscious patterns driving your daily life.

Spontaneous Creation in the Moment: Creating without overthinking or aiming for an artistic result bypasses your inner critic, allowing hidden emotions and subconscious parts of yourself to surface naturally in the room.

Mirroring & Reflective Noticing: Pausing to observe your creation and noting key themes, physical sensations, and words. This turns your creative expression into a mirror for your inner world, bringing suppressed thoughts into conscious view.

Iterative Deepening & Causation: Using the insights from one expression as the foundation for the next lets us trace root causes, map internal conflicts, and safely explore where your protective patterns began.

Somatic Regulation & In-Session Tracking: Engaging with rhythm, tactile creative materials, and grounding movement calms an overstimulated nervous system in real time, letting you approach difficult feelings while tracking live defense responses.

Externalisation & Parts Work: Moving heavy emotional states onto the table creates safe distance. Drawing on Internal Family Systems principles, you can observe, reorganise, and care for different "parts" of yourself without feeling consumed.

Creating Solutions & New Ways of Being: Using creative mediums to build new symbolic structures and rehearse boundaries allows your nervous system to experience and anchor healthy, protective behaviours in real time.

Integrating Talk Therapies When You Need Words: Blending visual mapping with CBT, ACT, Solution-Focused, and Narrative Therapy provides structured verbal reflection whenever you need to reframe thought loops and rewrite your story.

Through the creative processes, your Art Therapist will guide you in exploring feelings and experiences that may be hard to articulate.

Through creating art expressions based on prompts your Arts Therapist provides, you will explore the deeper parts of yourself.

The subconscious and unknown parts of self are mirrored in your spontaneous creations and are brought to the surface, to then process during the arts therapy sessions.

Your Arts Therapist supports you in exploring your creations to find meaning and insight, rather than focusing on the technical or aesthetic qualities of the art itself.

Not at all. Creative & Experiential Counselling isn’t an art class, and we are not creating an end product to be judged.

As a Creative and Experiential Counsellor, I use these active tools purely as a medium to help you externalise, map out, and safely navigate complex internal experiences.

Guided Meditation - progressive muscle relaxation, imagery, breathing exercises, body tension scanning, exploring senses, use of props and movement.

Visual Arts - painting, drawing, collaging, sculpture, clay, assemblages, weaving, sowing, using fabric.

Movement - dance, stretches, gestures, expressive movements, role play, use of props.

Expressive Writing - poetic forming, describing what is felt and experienced in the moment, statement of wisdom, short narrative.

Sound Therapy - voice, singing bowls, music and instruments.

Nature Therapy - walking, mindfulness practice, collecting natural objects, engaging with your senses.

Payment Schemes Accepted: Private funds, NDIS self/plan managed, Employment Assistance Fund (EAF), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), My Aged Care (MAC), TAC, MCM-FRMP and VOCAT/FAS Financial Assistance Scheme.

Discounts are offered for student/pension/health care card holders, NDIS participants, and those experiencing financial hardship.

Reduced rates are offered for group sessions based on the number of participants and/or Non-For-Profit status.

Travel charges for home visits:

• $1.00 per km for travel distance.

• $39.00 per half hour (pro-rata) for travel time.