Dear Guest to this space, welcome warmly,

If you’re suffering or struggling in some way, I send you utmost kindness and compassion and I hope that I may be able to deeply support you with my work, or connect you to others who truly can. Perhaps you are seeking support with your life, your teenage children or someone you care about. Or perhaps you work for an organisation and you’re seeking therapy for a person or group of people, in your care.

Here, I will give you a little overview of my work and approach and if you would like to know more, feel free to reach out and we can have an email or phone conversation. My aim, is to companion you with utmost care and compassion, as you navigate thresholds in your life, discover and integrate new ‘ways-of-being’ that are preferred by you.

I offer individual and group Art Therapy sessions for Women and Young People (Adolescents) at my Castlemaine ‘Thresholds Studio’, as well as online sessions. Castlemaine is in the Mount Alexander shire of regional Victoria, Australia. In addition to individuals’ self-funding their sessions, organisations such as Anglicare, Amicus, Local Government Health Centres and private organisations fund me to support individuals and groups needing therapy. I customise my work to individuals’ hopes for therapy, wellbeing support and creative connections.

Presently, I support people navigating an array of challenges including trauma, anxiety, depression, self-harm, chronic mental and physical illnesses, chronic pain, grief and anger. I work with a multi-modal arts approach (from my Masters training at The MIECAT Institute), companioning people to inquire into what they bring to our work together, using a wide range of creative inquiry approaches entwined with diverse artistic mediums (including visual arts, writing, poetry, letter writing, photography, drama, dance, movement, textiles, sculpture, play etc.).

However, you don’t need to be good at art to experience the many benefits of working in this way with me.  I can fine tune my approach to meet your imagination, your interests, your strengths and your curiosities in carefully connecting ways to the diverse arts offerings that are available.  I also weave in nature based/eco Art Therapy approaches through my work, so I bring nature in both with items from nature and using our imaginations.  The options for creative expression and exploration are endless…and you have choices.

I am also passionate about creative movement and therefore embodiment (being in our bodies and working with our bodies: mind-body connected), so this medium of body-based awareness is woven in according to people’s comfort. My work is trauma-informed and connected to; neuroscience approaches,  Narrative Therapy influences and is now becoming even richer through studies in ‘Internal Family Systems’ and ‘Mindful Self-Compassion’.

I also support individuals who are managing their own NDIS funds and others who are ‘plan managed’ and have chosen to experience Art Therapy with me, as part of their NDIS plan. I am a Registered NDIS Provider, so drop me a line or give me a call to explore how you can use your NDIS funds to have a sessions with me. I offer you an introductory conversation to see if my approach may be the right one for you or for someone in your care. I offer online sessions if distance is an issue and due to the coronavirus. If you’re curious to know more, do reach out and lets start the conversation. Email me: marita(at)thresholdsarttherapy.com.au or call me at: 0493 088 235.

However,  if you do decide that I am not the right person after our conversation, I will try my best to connect you to other amazing professionals, hoping you will find the right one for your needs.

With kindness,
Marita

 

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PS. There is a bit more in-depth about me below, if you’re really curious…

Nursing…

I offer a range of therapeutic and creative experiences to promote healing, creative living and wellbeing. In my creative approaches as a Creative Arts Therapist, (or in-short ‘Art Therapist’), I draw on my diverse experiences as a former Registered Nurse over a span of ten years. I gave nursing care to children on the medical ward of The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. I have nursed young people in secondary schools; providing health promotion, counselling individuals and running groups.

I have also nursed people diagnosed with terminal illnesses, as well as people with complex and chronic illness (including mental illnesses) in both home and hospital, including individuals with disabilities and the elderly, as well as nursing Indigenous people, in Alice Springs (Australia’s centre). Another of my nursing roles has been supporting people completing a medicated drug or alcohol withdrawal on a detoxification unit in Melbourne.

Arts as medicine…

Seeking change after feeling I didn’t truly belong in the nursing profession and a struggle with my own mental health after ‘burning out’ as a nurse, I completed a Graduate Diploma in Creative Arts Therapy at The MIECAT Institute. I followed these wonderful studies with completion of my Masters in Creative Arts Therapy also at The MIECAT Institute ~ graduating in 2011. Since then I have worked in Melbourne, Sweden, Timor-Leste, as well as the Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander Shires in varying capacities. These include being  a; Creative Arts Therapist, Community Artist, Group Facilitator, Creative Movement and Dance Teacher, Art after school Program Facilitator, Administrator and Qualitative Researcher – with individuals and groups across the lifespan. I continue to study, research and enhance my skills and knowledge to ensure continual improvement of my work.

Inspirations & Values…

Whilst embarking on this life transforming career change, I also was on a parallel transformation in becoming a Mamma, as I commenced my studies in Creative Art Therapy, whilst pregnant ~ I cherish being a parent and being part of a family. As well as travelling/working and volunteering around a bit in the world, I also draw inspiration from my parenting experiences, my relationships, with; humans, animals, the natural world and my imagination, as well as growing up in a really large family in regional NSW.

My values are the foundations for my work, with the values of integrity, honesty, presence, curiosity, respect and emotional safety as being some of the core values I both parent with and work with, in my Art Therapy practice. I am so grateful to have found my soul work and I feel so honoured to support all the people I am able to, with this profound approach to healing and wellbeing.

What enlivens me…

I love nature and dance outside almost every day to music and in silence. I love to swim laps and swimming in natural places too. I also love running up steep hills as well as cycling/hiking/gardening and being with my family. I thrive on exploring nature and being creative with with friends.  I enjoy playing with art materials of all kinds, including nature, writing poems, art journalling and reading a lot of everything: fiction and non-fiction.

I have a nourishing daily meditation practice that is mostly sitting in deep silence and sometimes guided by wise teachers from diverse traditions.

I am endlessly curious, so I have a deep love of learning, travelling and connecting with people of all ages and walks of life.

Professional connections…

I am a Professional Member of the The Australian New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA). I am also a member of the Group of Registered Regional Arts Therapists (GRRAT) and I hold a current Working With Children Card.