Groups

About Group Art Therapy

Art therapy has deep roots in modern psychotherapy dating as far back as the '50s. Many famous psychologists have stated that artmaking is an amazing way to express oneself and that it's good for mental health and our soul. Carl Jung, Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers all promoted art-making in their writings but the clever psychotherapist, Margaret Naumberg was the grandmother of art therapy. Way to rock Grandma Naumberg!

About groups:

Art Therapy Guelph hosts a few different art therapy groups. Some groups are held online or in person, please check the group you are interested in. Each group has between 6 to 8 participants, so groups are limited in space.

For in-person groups Art Therapy Guelph follows government COVID guidelines.

Art Therapy Guelph groups are not open. That means all the people are the same for the four sessions and people don't start and stop at different times. Due to the nature of art therapy, these group sessions are limited in space and clients who sign up commit to participating in all four group sessions. This ensures group cohesion and commitment to therapy.

The fee for four group sessions is $240.00. If you have coverage for a registered psychotherapist, you will be able to submit your receipt for reimbursement as your insurance plan allows.

What is required for groups? 

We do both in person and online groups. If it is online, you need a tablet, phone or computer with a camera and speakers enabled. They need a stable internet connection. You also require a private, quiet area with a workspace that allows for easy access to your art supplies.

Art supplies should be pencils, pencil crayons, markers, acrylic or watercolour paints and brushes, air dry clay and or play dough, magazines, glue and scissors (for collage) and pastels. An art journal, 9 x 12 inches with thick paper is useful, however paper can be larger up to 22 x 28 inches.

I have an art supply kit available for purchase, click here  This kit contains very basic supplies and is not a required purchase.

Missed sessions, inclement weather and refund policy

If there is inclement weather when buses are not running, group sessions may be held online or rescheduled. The exercise can be shared on request if one participant cannot attend the group. Art Therapy Guelph does not offer individual make-up sessions or refunds on missed art therapy sessions or groups. However, some of our online groups will have a video platform where you can access the lesson should you miss one. Due to privacy, group discussions are not shared. If someone cannot make it to one of their prepaid group sessions they signed up for, they will be given a receipt that says not attended. This is not a valid receipt for insurance reimbursement.

More questions? Access our FAQ page, click here.

Wise Mother Crone Archetype Art Therapy Group

This group runs for four weeks in a row on Fridays, from 10 am until noon. For dates click the link below. This group is online.

This group is for mature women over 45 years old who want to:

• Deeply explore their feminine psyche through art therapy.
• Embrace their wise woman and crone archetype.
• Tap into divine feminine wisdom.
• Lean into their authenticity and their personal values.
• Want to move forward in a wholehearted way.
• Support their mental health and mindset during menopause with art therapy.
• Want to be part of a supportive group of women who create soulful artworks each week.
• Are not afraid of using art to delve deeper into the feminine psyche.

Details of the four weeks:

• Week one, tapping into your sacred feminine and collective feminine wisdom through art therapy.
• Week two, reflect on your lived experiences and what built your unique soulful person and values. Using art-making to express your wise foundation.
• Week three, leaning into your personal power and authenticity. Exploration of your unique wise mother using art.
• Week four, exploring how to cultivate a life that embraces your wise mother archetype and speaks to your truth. Using art, we tap into unique ways to live a wholehearted life that reflects your core values, innate worth and feminine power.

For more information click here.

Post Crone Archetype Group

This group is for people who have experienced the four-week crone archetype group, and want to carry on with their fellow wise women doing art therapy. This group focuses more on exploring healing and empowerment. These sessions run twice per month. This group is online.

Join the Creative Trauma Healing Circle

This group runs once a week for six weeks and is held online.

This is a group for people who have experienced traumatic events and may have traumatic events or have PTSD, and would like to participate in a creative type of psychotherapy. In the group we will focus on:

• A positive a safe space for sharing
• Using creative ways to reduce stress
• Using artmaking to dial down nerves
• Being part of a supportive group
• Finding positive coping tools for a fight, flight and freeze response
• Tapping into inner body wisdom using art materials

Read more

Opportunities for art therapy groups

Art Therapy Guelph offers a few opportunities for certain groups to support the mental health of their employees or members in a variety of communities. It can support one's mental and emotional well-being through art therapy. For example, we have worked with people who have disabilities, anxiety, cancer diagnosis, nightmares, collective covid anxiety and so on. 

Stay in the know of upcoming groups

If you are interested in joining upcoming groups, sign up for our newsletter to learn about our upcoming groups, workshops and dates. See the button below.