Over the past few years, many people have asked me the same question:
What exactly is Cultural Art Therapy?
It is a term I began using during my placement at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) in 2019, where I started exploring how Art Psychotherapy could be safely and ethically practised within a cultural setting rather than a traditional therapy room.
During my MSc in Art Psychotherapy at Ulster University, I wanted to better understand how museums and galleries could become places where therapeutic work could happen without losing the professional standards that make Art Psychotherapy safe and effective. My research explored how the HCPC Standards of Proficiency could be applied when bringing Art Therapy into cultural spaces.
The research was written as an autoethnographic study, drawing on my placement experience at the RHA and reflecting on how the practice developed through real therapeutic work with participants.
It was through this process that the name Cultural Art Therapy emerged.
For me, Cultural Art Therapy is about bringing together the therapeutic relationship, creative expression and meaningful engagement with culture. Rather than seeing a museum or gallery as simply the venue, the cultural environment becomes part of the experience. The artwork, the exhibitions and the atmosphere all offer opportunities for reflection that can support the creative process in different ways.
Although the setting is different, the foundations remain those of professional Art Psychotherapy. The therapeutic relationship, ethical practice, confidentiality and psychological safety remain at the centre of every session. The cultural environment does not replace therapy, it offers another way of engaging with it.
Since completing my placement, I have continued to develop this approach through my private practice, delivering individual and group Cultural Art Therapy programmes within museums and galleries. Every group has taught me something new, and the feedback from participants has reinforced my belief that cultural spaces have the potential to become welcoming places for reflection, creativity and wellbeing.
There is still much to learn, and this area of practice is continuing to evolve. I hope that over the coming years I can contribute to a wider conversation about the role that museums, galleries and other cultural spaces can play in supporting people's mental health and wellbeing.
For now, Cultural Art Therapy is my way of bringing together the three things I care most about: Art Psychotherapy, culture and creating safe spaces where people can reflect, connect and discover something new about themselves.