[LAUIL601] Secondary Research: Podcast - The Trauma Therapist: Episode 261: Art Therapy & Trauma - Focused Treatment. Emma Cameron

Guy McPherson PhD introducing guest Emma Cameron. UK registered CP arts psychotherapist. She works in private practice and online with sensitive and thoughtful women who are struggling with trauma.

• Show us a quote to understand the value and mysteries of life and that we don't need to understand everything. We don't need to put words or answers to everything. There's always a dance between knowing and not knowing. It's so tempting to get drawn to whatever the next answer seems to be which is great because I'm always seeking and learning and getting excited and then I remembered that I need to find ways to integrate the new learning. Alongside that there is The dance of the artist Who loves the excitement of not knowing. The way Emma approaches paintings is with chaos and gradually finding a path to follow that she trusts are painting will emerge. Clinically in the therapy room it's so important to tread lightly and allow space to be surprised by the extraordinary processes of growth and healing. Be ready to recognise when we get it wrong and when we don't know. 
• I think if your train is an art psychotherapist One of the main things that is transmitted to you is that you don't know. We don't impose our interpretation onto somebody's artwork or dream or whatever it might be. We actively hold onto not knowing. It's in the training
• How did I get to do this work? I was born into a trauma world in a sense. Both parents had experienced trauma early on in their lives. They didn't process their trauma when they had me and it was transmitted to me on an unconscious level. My brother couldn't deal with our family traumas , with devastating consequences for him in the end, resulting in another family trauma. It is written that our own family trauma draws us to the profession, too. The loss of my brother strengthened my want to become a therapist and help others. 
• I went to art college, painter for many years, teacher in higher education, still do teach some life drawing. It wasn't until in 40s until trained to be art therapist
• I felt led and the time felt right. In my 20s I'd had therapy for a few years and was always interested in psychotherapy. Wasn't ready to train back then but was in back of mind. 
• Was there always a specific interest in trauma?  I don't think so but trauma is everywhere when you're therapist. You have to learn ways of working with it. 
• What is it about art therapy and what do you think people don't realise about art therapy? You don't have to be good at art and even if you only ever draw a stick figures you can still get a months benefit from using the arts and therapy. I think people tend to worry that they have to be good and that they'll be judged on their art skills when it isn't about that at all. Often times there won't be any arts used at all. Sometimes it will be sitting and talking and listening and there won't be any materials used. Other times there will be. Because I've had a very broad training at the college I went to in London, i've been encouraged to use more than just visual arts so I use things like puppets, poetry, Sand tray, and of the things and that broadened the way that I worked. 
• How do you work? Do you have a case study to share? So the client may come in and I will think "is there a way that I can deepen this using an art form? " i'll suggest it to the client and see how they feel about that and they may take it up, they may not. I really try and tune into what they feel comfortable with but at the same time it's really important to try and do some challenging as well because just because someone has never used puppets before doesn't mean that they can't get enormous benefits out of using them for the first time. I try to show that I'm not too attached to which artform is chosen and that it's very relaxed and that we will try which ever out. If you trust the art materials they will always go somewhere powerful. It can be used either in the session or it can be noted and we can come back to it at a later point.
• Sometimes someone will want to talk while they are working, sometimes they will see the process of making as something to do with their hands so that they are no longer anxious. Other times they will just want to work quietly and we will take a look at the piece later in the session. Occasionally someone want to work in silence for the entire session and very little will be said and of your strong feeling of the client being held and the therapist being active in the room rather than being passive. And listening in the kind of receptive way. 
• To be more genuine and authentic over the years rather than trying to pretend to be something I'm not. At the beginning I will try to dress differently and hide my name and hide my identity which was strange because I had exhibited my work and was well known in the art scene around my area. I found that by being more genuine the work was more receptive. It was a combination of trying to look smart and like the doctors but also trying to shift away from my role as an artist. 
• The number one thing I would recommend to all therapists is having your own personal therapy whether that is going back into therapy for a little while know what that's ongoing deepening your own personal therapy. Self-care is very important. I wrote an article online called "the crucial thing every therapist should know" talking about my personal therapy for therapists is so important. One of the important takeaways from that article is to distinguish what is your "stuff" and what is your client's "stuff" so that you have much more clarity about who's issue is who's. I'm not the takeaway is that we need to be in a position where we can give to our clients without feeling caught up in being envious about them receiving our care and attention. If there's any sort of unconscious envy, we need to let that go because the client deserves us to do our own work on ourselves and to have received enough care in our own therapies. 
• Self-care feels like such a throwaway concept because really how many of us are practising it? But it is so deeply important that we do take care of ourselves before we can bring someone else into our care. Doing the Rhône therapy is important as well because we can experience what it's like to be the client and understand all of the different angles. We don't always realise this but to be a therapy client takes enormous courage and to come face-to-face with your own vulnerabilities , Your dependencies, Your neediness your fury - Allsorts of things and I think once you've experienced these within yourself you'll be far better able to empathise with your clients. 
• Books I'd recommend "breakthrough moments in arts-based psychotherapy". The author trained where I did before me, so has a broad therapy approach like I do, and is a gesalt therapist as well. It has lots of case studies and examples of what happens when you introduce the arts to psychotherapy. Ailene Webber
• My all time favourite that I recommend to people all the time is "detachment in psychotherapy" by David Wallin. 
• My website is emmacameron.com and I can be emailed or contacted on the contacted form. I'm also planning a podcast called the creative therapist podcast addressing all things creativity and psychotherapy and where they intersect.