Art Therapy
Lilly Mai Designs was born out of a deeply personal journey during my Art Psychotherapy master's program, where I discovered the therapeutic power of abstract painting. This creative process was so transformative that it inspired the creation of Lilly Mai Designs, where my passion for art now intertwines with my professional practice in Art Therapy, both in my private practice and in my clinical work at St Christopher's Hospice.
I specialise in supporting children, young people, parents, and carers, with a focus on bereavement and a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges. These can include issues related to mood, behaviour, self-image, as well as working with individuals on the autistic spectrum or those with subtle neuro-developmental difficulties. My work also encompasses helping those dealing with historical traumas, life transitions, and changes in circumstances.
Stress often manifests physically before we can articulate what is troubling us. It's common to feel distressing sensations in the body as a first response to stress, which can lead to changes in behaviour or personality. These changes are often warning signs that we're under significant pressure, even if we're not fully aware of it.
In Art Therapy, I offer a safe and consistent therapeutic relationship where you can explore your feelings, thoughts, and experiences through creative expression. This process can lead to improvements in emotional well-being, behaviour, focus, attention, and a reduction in anxiety and depression.
Art Therapy sessions provide a unique space for personal change, helping to alleviate difficulties in work, school, and social situations. For parents and carers, I offer a reflective space to understand and respond to your child’s emotional needs, leading to healthier family dynamics and reduced stress.
Sessions are available online, at my Art Studio in Checkendon, or in the comfort of your home, offering flexibility to meet your needs. If you're seeking a path to emotional healing and growth, Art Therapy could be the right choice for you.
I specialise in supporting children, young people, parents, and carers, with a focus on bereavement and a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges. These can include issues related to mood, behaviour, self-image, as well as working with individuals on the autistic spectrum or those with subtle neuro-developmental difficulties. My work also encompasses helping those dealing with historical traumas, life transitions, and changes in circumstances.
Stress often manifests physically before we can articulate what is troubling us. It's common to feel distressing sensations in the body as a first response to stress, which can lead to changes in behaviour or personality. These changes are often warning signs that we're under significant pressure, even if we're not fully aware of it.
In Art Therapy, I offer a safe and consistent therapeutic relationship where you can explore your feelings, thoughts, and experiences through creative expression. This process can lead to improvements in emotional well-being, behaviour, focus, attention, and a reduction in anxiety and depression.
Art Therapy sessions provide a unique space for personal change, helping to alleviate difficulties in work, school, and social situations. For parents and carers, I offer a reflective space to understand and respond to your child’s emotional needs, leading to healthier family dynamics and reduced stress.
Sessions are available online, at my Art Studio in Checkendon, or in the comfort of your home, offering flexibility to meet your needs. If you're seeking a path to emotional healing and growth, Art Therapy could be the right choice for you.
"Lilly’s studio provides my son a nourishing and safe space to play and explore through art making. He is always lit up after working with Lilly and has created some incredible paintings on canvas. After our family experienced great change Lilly was a safe and creative beacon for him that helped him return to self expression. Lilly’s work made a profound difference in our lives through her gentle and fun approach. I cannot thank her enough for holding space for his needs and emotions"
-Helen
-Helen
Specialising in Bereavement Support and Art Therapy
With three years of post-qualification experience, I have primarily worked with children and young people, developing a robust understanding of their unique needs and challenges.
Art Therapy for Children and Young People: In addition to bereavement support, I offer art therapy, which is particularly effective for children dealing with various challenges. Through creative expression, play, and conversation, I help young individuals explore and process their emotions in a supportive and non-verbal manner, facilitating healing and emotional growth.
Essential Specialisation in Bereavement: Many individuals come to therapy due to some form of loss, my specialisation in bereavement has proven essential in working with children and young people facing a wide range of issues. This expertise enhances your ability to address not only grief but also the broader emotional and psychological impacts of loss.
Flexible and Client-Led Approach: I adapt my methods based on the unique needs of each individual, ensuring that the support you provide is personalised and effective. This client-led approach helps me to be responsive to varying experiences of grief and trauma.
Integration of Multiple Theoretical Approaches: I blend psychodynamic, trauma-informed, systemic, CBT, and solution-focused approaches into my practice. This integrative model allows me to address different aspects of grief and trauma, providing a well-rounded support system.
Expertise in Grief Education: My deep knowledge in grief education helps me to support clients and their families through the grieving process. I focus on normalising emotions and facilitating open discussions about death and dying, which can be particularly beneficial in helping clients process their loss.
Developmental Psychology Insights: By leveraging my understanding of developmental psychology, I provide valuable insights into how grief interacts with adolescent development. This expertise aids in guiding teenagers and their families through the complex emotions and challenges associated with bereavement.
Support Across Various Types of Bereavement: My practice encompasses a broad spectrum of bereavement scenarios, including natural, sudden, and perinatal losses. This versatility ensures that I can offer relevant support regardless of the nature of the loss.
Childhood bereavement experience can provide a strong foundation for working with adults in several meaningful ways:
Deep Understanding of Grief: Having worked with children and young people through grief, I have gained insights into the diverse ways people process loss. This understanding helps me recognise and address similar or even more complex grief responses in adults.
Compassionate Approach: My experience with children and young people often involves navigating complex emotions and providing a compassionate presence. This skill translates well into working with adults, where similar compassion and understanding are needed.
Adaptability in Communication: I have developed the ability to communicate complex emotional concepts in ways that children can understand. This skill enables me to adapt my communication style to meet adults where they are, whether they need straightforward information or more nuanced discussions about their grief.
Dealing with Diverse Reactions: Children often exhibit a wide range of emotional responses to grief, from anger to confusion to silence. This experience helps me anticipate and manage diverse reactions in adults, recognising that grief can manifest in various ways.
Coping Mechanisms: Techniques and strategies I’ve used with children, such as creative expression, routines, or storytelling, can be adapted for adults. These tools can be particularly effective in helping adults process and express their emotions.
Support for Families: Experience working with families during bereavement has given me insights into how grief affects family dynamics. This understanding helps me support adults who may be dealing with grief within the context of their relationships and family structures.
Crisis Management: Dealing with the immediate and intense emotions of grieving children equips me with skills in crisis management and emotional regulation, which are crucial when supporting adults through their own challenging times.
Educational Skills: My experience educating children and their families about grief helps me in providing valuable information and resources to adults, helping them understand and navigate their grief journey.
Building Trust and Safety: Creating a safe and trusting environment is essential in both child and adult grief work. My ability to establish this connection with children translates into my ability to build trust with adult clients as well.
These childhood bereavement experience have enriched my capacity to support adults by deepening my understanding of grief, enhancing my communication and coping skills, and equipping me to handle a range of emotional responses.
Art Therapy for Children and Young People: In addition to bereavement support, I offer art therapy, which is particularly effective for children dealing with various challenges. Through creative expression, play, and conversation, I help young individuals explore and process their emotions in a supportive and non-verbal manner, facilitating healing and emotional growth.
Essential Specialisation in Bereavement: Many individuals come to therapy due to some form of loss, my specialisation in bereavement has proven essential in working with children and young people facing a wide range of issues. This expertise enhances your ability to address not only grief but also the broader emotional and psychological impacts of loss.
Flexible and Client-Led Approach: I adapt my methods based on the unique needs of each individual, ensuring that the support you provide is personalised and effective. This client-led approach helps me to be responsive to varying experiences of grief and trauma.
Integration of Multiple Theoretical Approaches: I blend psychodynamic, trauma-informed, systemic, CBT, and solution-focused approaches into my practice. This integrative model allows me to address different aspects of grief and trauma, providing a well-rounded support system.
Expertise in Grief Education: My deep knowledge in grief education helps me to support clients and their families through the grieving process. I focus on normalising emotions and facilitating open discussions about death and dying, which can be particularly beneficial in helping clients process their loss.
Developmental Psychology Insights: By leveraging my understanding of developmental psychology, I provide valuable insights into how grief interacts with adolescent development. This expertise aids in guiding teenagers and their families through the complex emotions and challenges associated with bereavement.
Support Across Various Types of Bereavement: My practice encompasses a broad spectrum of bereavement scenarios, including natural, sudden, and perinatal losses. This versatility ensures that I can offer relevant support regardless of the nature of the loss.
Childhood bereavement experience can provide a strong foundation for working with adults in several meaningful ways:
Deep Understanding of Grief: Having worked with children and young people through grief, I have gained insights into the diverse ways people process loss. This understanding helps me recognise and address similar or even more complex grief responses in adults.
Compassionate Approach: My experience with children and young people often involves navigating complex emotions and providing a compassionate presence. This skill translates well into working with adults, where similar compassion and understanding are needed.
Adaptability in Communication: I have developed the ability to communicate complex emotional concepts in ways that children can understand. This skill enables me to adapt my communication style to meet adults where they are, whether they need straightforward information or more nuanced discussions about their grief.
Dealing with Diverse Reactions: Children often exhibit a wide range of emotional responses to grief, from anger to confusion to silence. This experience helps me anticipate and manage diverse reactions in adults, recognising that grief can manifest in various ways.
Coping Mechanisms: Techniques and strategies I’ve used with children, such as creative expression, routines, or storytelling, can be adapted for adults. These tools can be particularly effective in helping adults process and express their emotions.
Support for Families: Experience working with families during bereavement has given me insights into how grief affects family dynamics. This understanding helps me support adults who may be dealing with grief within the context of their relationships and family structures.
Crisis Management: Dealing with the immediate and intense emotions of grieving children equips me with skills in crisis management and emotional regulation, which are crucial when supporting adults through their own challenging times.
Educational Skills: My experience educating children and their families about grief helps me in providing valuable information and resources to adults, helping them understand and navigate their grief journey.
Building Trust and Safety: Creating a safe and trusting environment is essential in both child and adult grief work. My ability to establish this connection with children translates into my ability to build trust with adult clients as well.
These childhood bereavement experience have enriched my capacity to support adults by deepening my understanding of grief, enhancing my communication and coping skills, and equipping me to handle a range of emotional responses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Sort of Person Goes to Art Therapy?
Art therapy is beneficial for people from all backgrounds who are struggling with difficult feelings, thoughts, or behaviors. Whether you’re a child, young person, adult, parent, or part of a group, art therapy can help resolve the challenges you’re experiencing.
Do I Have to Be Good at Art?
No artistic skill is required to benefit from art therapy. The focus is on the therapeutic process of making art, not on creating aesthetically pleasing or diagnostically significant work. The relationship between the client, the art, and the therapist is what matters most.
How Will I Know If Lilly Is the Right Therapist for Me?
Choosing an art therapist is personal and should be based on comfort and connection. I offer an initial, no-obligation telephone consultation to discuss your needs. If you feel comfortable after our chat, we can arrange a meeting to explore treatment options further.
Can I Be Present During Lilly’s Individual Sessions with My Child/Partner/Friend?
To maintain a safe therapeutic environment, individual sessions are confidential. However, if your child wishes to share something specific with you, we can discuss it during a review meeting. Joint sessions can also be arranged if that’s preferred.
How Long Should I Expect to Attend Art Therapy Sessions For?
The duration of art therapy varies based on individual needs. Some people may need only a few weeks of support, while others benefit from longer-term treatment over several months. We’ll assess progress together and decide when it’s the right time to conclude therapy.
What Happens to the Images That I Make During Art Therapy Sessions?
The images you create are stored securely and confidentially. At the end of therapy, you can review your artwork and decide what to do with it—whether to keep it, leave it with me, or even perform a ritual. The decision is entirely yours.
Does My GP or Employer Need to Know That I Am Attending Art Therapy Sessions?
Your attendance is confidential and will not be shared with your employer unless you request it and provide consent. I will ask for your GP’s details and consent to share brief information about your attendance, but session details remain private.
How Confidential Are Art Therapy Sessions?
All information shared in sessions is treated with the utmost respect and confidentiality. However, if there is a concern about the safety of a child or vulnerable person, I am obligated to share these concerns with relevant professionals.
How Are Art Therapists Regulated?
Art therapists hold a postgraduate qualification (MA or MSc) in Art Therapy and are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This ensures they meet national standards. You can verify an art therapist’s registration at www.hpcheck.org. Those working with children and young people must also have enhanced DBS clearance.
For more information on Art Therapy, training, and standards, please visit the British Association of Art Therapists’ website.
