Art Therapy

The overall aim of art therapy is to enable a client to develop and grow on a personal level through the use of art materials in a safe and facilitating environment.

Art therapy offers the opportunity for expression and communication and can be particularly helpful to people who find it hard to express their thoughts and feelings verbally.

Art therapist Andrea Gregg has been working with Independence Homes service users for two years. She sees 12 clients every week, working with people at all points of the spectrum.

Andrea says:

"The key is to find the right level for each and every client. Just like you and me my clients have good and bad mood days. Except sometimes those bad days are made worse by seizure activity. Thus I try and take myself into their world.

Take Duncan. You need to take time to get to know Duncan. He may not be able to use words with which to communicate, but Duncan has many other ways of making his feelings known. Because I've worked with him for some time I know when he's engaged and feeling good, and at other times when he's feeling a bit withdrawn.

These days Duncan gives much more eye contact than he used to, and he vocalises far more than he did. That's progress, and I'm sure there's more to come."