Creative Arts Therapies
music, drama, art, and dance & movement therapy…
At Minding Creative Minds we are very proud of our growing list of services, a list of services which have been developed from our consistent interactions with our creative sector peers; in its simplest from questions and requests received from our peers via our existing monthly meet and greet session, social media and email communications and indeed our in-person gatherings. The addition of Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) to our well-being service offering was a natural step for the organization which support those working in the Irish creative sector in all is forms.
Any member of the Irish Creative Sector can apply for 12 free weekly sessions with one of our Creative Arts Therapists.
Thank you so much for your interest in MCM Creative Arts Therapy pilot programme.
Due to outstanding demand we have now reached capacity for applications to our new Creative Arts Therapy pilot service. If you would like to register your interest in this service you can submit your details below, and we will let you know as soon as we plan to reopen applications for the next round.
(*Please note that entering your email address below will also subscribe you to our regular mailing list. You can unsubscribe from that list at any time, but we will still contact you to inform you when our Creative Arts Therapy service is open for applications again.)
To those of you who have registered your application, we thank you and we will be in direct contact in relation to your submission for this phase of our CAT pilot service by April 30th.
In the meantime please refer to Mind Creative Minds’ other services here at this time.
What are Creative Arts Therapies?
Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) are evidence-based health care professions. It is an umbrella term incorporating 4 professions; Art Therapy, Dance-Movement Therapy, Drama therapy, and Music Therapy.
Creative Arts Therapies is the planned and prescribed use of creative processes with a qualified therapist working to support and enhance the psychological and social well-being of individuals. CAT is used to help people interpret, express, and resolve their emotions and thoughts through the creative process of the arts. Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) are based on the idea that creative expression can foster mental health and support wellbeing.
All Creative Art Therapists are master’s level qualified in their specific medium and are registered with the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists (IACAT) and they can integrate knowledge of the arts with principles of psychotherapy and related fields.
Providing a therapeutic language through the arts is wholly appropriate and meaningful for people with creative minds who are working in the creative industry and who are used to engaging in and through the creative arts.
CAT is not about a teaching or CPD but about using the arts for self-discovery and self-expression within the safety of a therapeutic framework. Artists can use their own medium or another creative medium to address any issues or stresses that arise through work, any anxieties, and the demands of everyday life, and in supporting mental health.
A summary of the four mediums central to Creative Arts Therapies:
Art therapy (AT)
Art Therapy is used to help patients interpret, express, and resolve their emotions and thoughts through the creative process of art. Patients work with an art therapist to explore their emotions, understand conflicts or feelings that are causing them distress, and use art to help them find resolutions to those issues.
Dance/Movement therapy (DMT)
Movement is our first form of communication. Movement can be functional, communicative, developmental, and expressive. DMT explores, within a therapeutic environment, our relationship with movement, our bodies, and the physical responses to stress, pain, low mood. DMT is particularly effective in those seeking to improve their relationship and awareness of their body.
Drama Therapy (DT)
The intentional and systematic use of drama and theatre processes to achieve healthy psychological growth and change. Interventions can include games, puppets, masks, storytelling, fairy tales, roleplay, and sensory and imaginative play as a means of communication and expression. Drama Therapy can support playing or acting out and is particularly helpful when exploring challenging things from various points of view.
Music Therapy (MT)
Music therapy incorporates the use of music-based activities for non-musical goals. Music Therapy has been proven to support emotional regulation and expression, pain and fatigue management, encourage movement, cognition skills and communication, social interaction, reduction of anxiety and low mood and coping with change. Music therapists are trained to ensure the sessions are accessible and supportive for all ages and abilities.
The Minding Creative Minds Creative Arts Therapies team of facilitators
We are grateful to our Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) Triage Co-ordination Manager and administration manager; Liz Helitzer together with our team of therapists who will facilitate this new service, which include; Rebecca O’Connor (Neurologic Music Therapist; Creative Arts Therapy Supervisor), Eithne Swaine (Creative Therapist), Nicola Kealy (Creative Therapist) and Shane Cassidy (Creative Music Therapist).
This phase of our new Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) is a pilot phase, where we welcome user feedback from its launch and into the immediate months to follow.