About Us
Julia initially trained and worked as a primary school teacher before re-training as an Arts Therapist. As a registered Arts Therapist with a keen interest in the power of creativity to develop confidence and foster social skills in young children.
Over the past two years Julia has lead art therapy groups for children on the autistic spectrum and global developmental delay through the organisation DTNZ (Dance Therapy New Zealand). Previously she worked as an arts therapist at Glowkids Conductive education and Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy. Currently her interest is in working with children with anxiety and social issues using art and sand tray therapy to develop confidence, resilience and self-efficacy.
In addition to her private practice she co-facilitates parent workshops in Auckland for parents, teachers and support staff on effective ways to relate to children using art and dance therapy techniques.
Julia also is part of the APTE (Arts & Play Therapy in Education) team www.apte.org.nz, a developing not for profit organisation that seeks to support the mental, emotional and social health of vulnerable young New Zealanders in primary schools in Auckland through the arts therapies.
Art is often the natural language of children
Children can benefit from arts therapy if they have the following behaviours:
- Separation anxiety
- School refusal
- Defiant, disruptive or oppositional
- Inattentive, anxious and or/trouble
- Poor concentration or hyper-vigilance
- Depressed, sad, lonely or withdrawn
- Lack of confidence and poor self-esteem
The primary focus of therapy is to first establish a positive therapeutic rapport with the child so that they feel happy, safe, and understood. As art is the often the natural language of children, many children feel greatly at ease knowing that they can express themselves through the art materials, particularly if speaking about their problems is difficult for them. The sessions are predominantly child-lead which gives children power of their own process in a fun, safe and dynamic space with many enticing materials at their disposal.
There is funding available for therapy as the creative arts are recognised as a treatment modality for people who are eligible for counselling under the Disability Allowance. If it is decided that the child may require counselling, a disability certificate counselling form will need to be completed by the child’s General Practitioner.
Physical environment
Parents of the children who attend arts therapy often comment on how their children look forward to art therapy sessions. Establishing a fun, open and friendly atmosphere enables children to fully embrace the therapeutic process and gain the most they can out of therapy.
We would love to hear from you! Please contact Julia direct by telephone or email and we will get back to you!
Services
Art therapy assessment
Initial parent consultation
Visual arts therapy
Sand tray therapy
Dance/Movement Therapy
Mindfulness techniques for anxiety
Parent review meetings
Resources for parents
Services
Art therapy assessment
Initial parent consultation
Visual arts therapy
Sand tray therapy
Dance/Movement Therapy
Mindfulness techniques for anxiety
Parent review meetings
Resources for parents
Julia has a special something, a gift to connect with kids. I am so grateful that she set aside her job as a respected teacher to share her talents with kids through art therapy. One of my first and lasting recollections of Julia is her genuine affection and enjoyment in being with the kids in her care. It radiates from Julia and they respond in kind with shared looks and smiles, checking to see if she’s watching. I also cannot think of a greater gift to give my eldest son than this time in the art space Julia creates where Max’s* anxiety seemed to fall away and his ideas take flight in his art (leaving him with much to talk about on the drive home). Art therapy has also been great for my 9-year-old who is yet to develop fluent speech. He still has a lot to tell me about his art, just in his own way – and it’s a delight to share with him. I’d recommend that parents explore art therapy, mainly for the reason described in the following quote from the movie, The Kings Speech – “Because I have a right to be heard. I have a voice!
