Over the past four years, I have been developing an approach to Art Psychotherapy that I call Cultural Art Therapy. It began during my MSc placement at the Royal Hibernian Academy, where I became interested in how museums and galleries could support therapeutic work while remaining grounded in safe, ethical Art Psychotherapy practice.
Since then, I have continued to develop this approach through my private practice, always wondering what might happen if cultural institutions became active partners in supporting health and wellbeing.
Since spring 2023, that question has taken an exciting new step.
I am delighted to be working with the Education Department at the National Gallery of Ireland as we begin developing 'No Words', a Cultural Art Therapy project created in collaboration with Saoirse Domestic Violence Services. Together, we are exploring how the National Gallery can become a place where therapeutic experiences are made accessible within a cultural setting, supporting women who have experienced domestic abuse.
From my very first conversations with the Education Team, I was struck by their openness. They weren't simply interested in hosting a programme within the Gallery; they wanted to explore how the Gallery itself could become part of the experience. That way of thinking immediately resonated with me because it reflects something I have believed for a long time, that museums are not only places where we preserve culture, but places where people can connect, reflect and find meaning.
The No Words project has been built through genuine collaboration. From the outset, the Education Team, Saoirse Domestic Violence Services and I have worked together to shape a programme that responds to the needs of the women taking part.
What excites me most is that this project values both therapeutic practice and the cultural environment. Participants will spend time engaging with artworks and exhibitions before moving into a facilitated creative process, allowing the Gallery to become more than simply a venue. It becomes part of the journey.
As an Art Psychotherapist, it has always been important to me that any work in cultural spaces remains professionally and ethically grounded. The therapeutic relationship, psychological safety and respect for every participant remain at the centre of the work. The setting may be different, but those foundations never change.
Standing in the Gallery now, I often think back to my first placement at the RHA and the questions I was asking then. At the time, I was simply curious about whether museums could become spaces for Art Psychotherapy. A few years later, I feel incredibly grateful to be working with a national cultural institution that has been willing to ask the same question.
This is only the beginning of the journey.
I am looking forward to learning from everyone involved, continuing to develop Cultural Art Therapy in practice, and seeing where this collaboration leads over the months and hopefully years ahead.