9 August is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Each year on 9 August, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples recognises the rich cultures, knowledge, histories and contributions of Indigenous Peoples across the world. The 2026 United Nations theme, “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Wellbeing,” celebrates the vital role Indigenous midwives play in supporting maternal health, preserving traditional knowledge and strengthenin

Someone had the most amazing idea to turn my cat collage into a Where’s Wally game, and I couldn’t resist! Hidden somewhere amongst all the cats is a tiny knitted hat. If you find it while you’re visiting, you get to move it to a new spot on the collage before you leave for the next person to find. I can’t wait to see how long this little tradition lasts. #catcollage #whereswally #whereswaldo #therapygame #catsarethebest

“Created during a first in-person session after a journey from Alice Springs, this painting found a second life as a puppet. After seeing the transformation, a dream about making colourful iceberg puppet ls was shared. Some creative threads seem to weave themselves together in unexpected ways. Before long, this colourful companion will be making the journey home.” This participant gave me consent to share #puppettherapy #creativeandexperientialtherapies #creativetherapy #pupp

“Did you know, for instance, that some languages use the same word for pink and red? Or that there are languages that fail to make the distinction between green and blue? If differences in the conceptualization of colors surprise you, the differences in emotion lexicons are much larger. Emotion words in different languages do not neatly map onto each other.” - Batja Mesquita This participant gave me consent to share #reflectiononcolor #dimonddotz #sparklegemart #dimondart #sp

4 August is National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. This is a day to celebrate the strength, cultures and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. This year’s theme, Living Our Truth, highlights the importance of truth telling and recognising the knowledge, identity and cultural strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It reminds us that every child deserves to grow up connected to family, community, culture and Count

WIKIPEDIA by Rae Sabine Ankylosing spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis. A type of arthritis. Disease spectrum. Axial spondyloarthritis. Ankylos meaning crooked, curved, rounded. Spondylos meaning vertebra. -itis meaning inflammation. Long term inflammation of the joints of the spine, where the spine joins the pelvis. Lower back pain, hallmark. Eye and gastrointestinal problems. Arthritis of other joints. Joint mobility worsens over time. Progression of symptoms. Ankylosing spo

The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis reframes dyslexia as a different way of thinking rather than a deficit. Instead of focusing only on reading and spelling difficulties, the book highlights strengths such as creativity, intuition, and visual-spatial awareness. It also introduces the idea that many challenges come from moments of perceptual disorientation, where symbols and words can feel unstable or difficult to hold in place. A key focus of the book is the role of visua

“I made a cute clay cat 🐱 I made the tail really long and I cut diamonds for the ears 👂” This participant gave me permission to share #claycat #softclay #softclaycat #cuteclaycat #cutecat

QUESTIONS I OFTEN ASK IN A FIRST SESSION: “What previous therapy experiences have you had, and what was helpful and/or unhelpful for you?” “What are your intentions, hopes, and/or needs for our therapeutic journey together?” “What are you hoping to get out of creative and experiential approaches to therapy?” “What is your relationship to creativity, and how does it show up in your life?” “What feels most important for me to understand about you and your reasons for coming her

“Emotion Box The stains of paint are like scars left by trauma. This box tells the story of survival. The black box represents my body. Hidden inside are my emotions—some heavy, some hopeful. My heart is broken and cries quietly beneath the surface. Words of sadness, pain, disability, injustice, control and suicide sit beside hope, love, light, truth and equality. They all exist together, just as they do within me. The angels remind me that I am never completely alone. My cat

“As artists we are always playing with fire. We allow ourselves to go to dangerous territory, and often we find pain and suffering there. When we go to these deep places with others, we need to be keepers and tenders of their fire - with sensitivity, response-ability, imagination and aliveness. Tending the fire is the ethical basis of expressive arts therapy.” - Ellen Levine Consent to share this collaborative artwork has been obtained #tendingthefire #artstherapy #arttherapy

Creating a family can look different for everyone, and for LGBTQ+ people there are often additional legal, medical, financial and social considerations along the way. Events like this can provide an opportunity to hear from people with lived experience, ask questions, and connect with others navigating similar journeys. Jewmos, Kehilat Nitzan and the Australia Jewish Fertility Network are hosting a free Sunday brunch panel exploring pathways to building LGBTQ+ Jewish families

Sour foods can be a simple but effective sensory grounding tool when anxiety becomes overwhelming. The intense acidity activates both the taste system and the trigeminal nerve, which responds to sharp or strong sensations in the mouth. This dual stimulation sends a fast, attention-grabbing signal to the brain, creating a brief sensory reset. For many people, this sudden shift interrupts spiralling thoughts, redirects attention back to the body, and gives the nervous system a

“Perhaps it is because cats do not live by human patterns, do not fit themselves into prescribed behavior, that they are so united to creative people.” - Andre Norton This participant gave me consent to share #catlovers #claycat #gingercat #shōgacat #littlecat

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei follows Mickey James, a talented hockey player whose carefully planned future begins to unravel after an unexpected setback. Through a queer coming of age story, the novel explores romance, friendship, family expectations and the uncertainty of finding your place after high school. I enjoyed how Graziadei balanced the competitive hockey setting with quieter, character driven moments. Mickey’s anxiety and self doubt felt authentic, and the relation

“This piece is about connection and all the distractions and dilemmas we face within ourselves in relationships and the growth we gain in ourselves and awareness.” Shared with permission from @dubse_art #healingthroughart #creativeandexperientialtherapies #artthatspeaks #explorationthroughart #reflectiveart

What do the colours of the Disability Pride Flag represent? The Disability Pride Flag celebrates the diversity of the disability community and recognises that disability is not one single experience. Each colour has its own meaning: 💚 Green – Sensory disabilities 💙 Blue – Emotional and psychiatric disabilities 🤍 White – Invisible and undiagnosed disabilities 💛 Gold – Neurodivergence ❤️ Red – Physical disabilities 🩶 Charcoal background – Symbolises mourning and rage for d

“After taking about intrusive thoughts with a car lighter. I had a visualization of a car lighter on the tongue. I made a template of the mouth and cut it out in cardboard. I layered the cardboard and paper mached the lips for dimension after hot gluing toilet paper. I also layered cardboard for the car lighter. I used soft air clay to form the tongue.“ This participant gave me consent to share #creativeandexperientialtherapies #intrusiveart #intrusivethoughtsart #intrusiveth

Yesterday I renewed my First Aid and CPR certification to keep everything current so I can continue offering private health rebates. It’s one of those things you hope you never need, but it’s important to keep your skills up to date. I was also pretty sure I got the mannequin with the most non-binary name in the room. Bugs and I made it through the CPR scenarios together, and I’m pleased to report we both survived the day. #privatehealthrebates #firstaid #cpr #firstaidtrainin

Art collab with Lucian. I created the background and Lucian added mushrooms, leaves, snails, texture and colour through cut, layer, assemble. It felt like play and meaning making at once, like ecosystems and identity: complex, interconnected, ever changing. Nature doesn’t conform, it expands, adapts, transforms. Nature is queer. Find @lucent.flow work here: https://linktr.ee/lucentflow #lucentflow #enbyart #linoprint #collabart #natureisqueer