HELEN MCWILLIAM GESTALT ART THERAPY AND COUNSELLING

A space where you will feel seen and heard.

Gestalt Therapy with Helen McWilliam Gestalt Art Therapist
Hi! I’m Helen

My work is influenced by Gestalt therapy and grounded in my love of art, my experience of family, living on a community, body work, connection with nature and working with people of diverse ages and backgrounds.

My professional qualifications include a Bachelor or Social Science from Southern Cross University, and a Master of Gestalt Therapy from Gestalt Therapy Brisbane. I am a clinical member of PACFA and a registered Accredited Supervisor.

I offer counselling services, supervision services for counsellors, psychologists and students, and I facilitate Gestalt art experiences workshops and courses.

My Approach

Together we work to help you become the true you, feeling your aliveness and experiencing the joy of life. You may make magnificent and often difficult discoveries along the way. Together we will explore your life in a variety of contexts – be it personal, family, social or historical. I specialise in working with adults and people in a variety and stages of relationships and family situations.

My approach is influenced by my love of art and so my way of working includes art, clay, collage and figurines.

You may arrive feeling stuck and wanting to live a fuller and happier life. You may suffer from depression or anxiety, and perhaps have trauma and deep loss in your background. I believe we each have an inner desire to grow and heal. In my work I continue to be inspired by the courage, creativity, resilience and commitment of my clients as they seek meaning in their lives.

I believe Art is an extension of the self and can be a meaningful and powerful way to express what words cannot say.

Exploring and processing personal metaphors can be powerful in overcoming challenges. Art is often not much to look at – what is important is the benefit. Working with creative media helps you focus and process grief and fear, express anger and anxiety, relax and feel joy.

What matters is the process and emotional impact as you express yourself creatively. What you notice, what you become aware of, what you remember as you work with art is what is important and together we explore and make sense of.

Gestalt Art Therapy

Therapy is about slowing down and paying attention to the moment. Often the most profound change occurs when the therapist works with a client on emotional, physical and spiritual levels. For this reason I integrate art and other disciplines into my work – working with figurines, meditation, breath work, art and somatic awareness.

Workshops and Courses

I provide a safe place for self exploration, personal growth and a deeper understanding of yourself and others. In a Gestalt art experience workshop you will cultivate self awareness and awareness of your environment in relation to others, while attending to the whole of yourself.

Art therapy courses for therapists and counsellors are offered over a four week period. In this course I will give a brief introduction to art therapy and how I work. Over the four weeks I will guide you to ‘do’ art and invite you to share your experiences in small groups as well as the larger group. This course is endorsed by PACFA for CPD hours.