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Exploring emotion through therapeutic art

Steffie Elhassan is a therapeutic arts practitioner who runs sessions inspired by gardens and nature. She’s always been interested in people’s wellbeing and worked for many years as a dietitian for the NHS and in alternative health

“In my 50s, I started to become more interested in art, and took courses to develop my drawing and creativity. I then trained in using expressive arts in supervision, and completed an Advanced Diploma in the Therapeutic Application of the Arts.”

This form of therapy encourages people to explore their challenges and feelings by working with images, using materials such as clay, paint, charcoals, or even Lego.

Steffie Elhassan, therapeutic arts practitioner
Steffie Elhassan runs therapeutic arts sessions inspired by gardens and nature
“While it involves an element of creativity, you don’t need to consider yourself artistic to reap the benefits. I find the whole approach liberating and it offers a dynamic alternative to talking therapies for people struggling with aspects of their lives and their emotions.”

In 2019, Steffie opened her practice, Steffie’s Arts Space, facilitating in-person therapeutic arts sessions and offering introductory workshops. When the pandemic hit, she set up online workshops to offer people a space to reflect on their experiences.

“I often spend time in the garden, taking art materials outside, looking closely, then drawing what I see. My garden is my oasis, where I can feel my breath slowing down and the noise in my head settling, giving me the space to relax and notice the beauty around me. My experience of achieving mindfulness in this gentle way gave rise to the idea of workshops based around nature and introducing people to the calmness and pleasure it can bring.

The focus is not on making a beautiful piece of art but on using the materials to have a conversation with the surroundings, and responding to what we see or feel.

Steffie Elhassan, therapeutic arts practitioner

“In my workshops, I introduce people to the idea that the plant world gives us all a chance to be present and slow down. I help participants to build confidence with the art materials and discover how they can respond and, if possible, we spend time outside. I like to encourage people to try free-drawing, which just means looking at a flower or twig and letting your pencil draw what you’re seeing, without looking at the paper until the end. This allows you to simply enjoy the connection, rather than worrying about how your drawing looks.

“Each workshop uses a different art material that relates to the theme or season, such as charcoal for winter lines or watercolour pencils for the soft shapes of spring. There’s no right or wrong, just a joyful creative process. People find it calming and inspiring, and it makes them look in a new way. They also go away with some lovely artwork that shows their personal responses.

I find nature an endless source of wonder and try to communicate this sense of awe to my participants.

Steffie Elhassan, therapeutic arts practitioner
 “There are so many potential themes for workshops because nature is so diverse in what it offers – its colours and forms, and the way it stimulates all the senses. And everyone can benefit by going outside to a natural space – you can even ‘draw’ without materials by using your finger to trace the outline of a tree, for example.”

Steffie’s wellbeing through the year

Spring: Free-draw a flower bud

“It’s lovely to enjoy the new growth in spring and notice the different stages from bud to flower of emerging daffodils, tulips and tree blossom. Try free drawing a clump of daffodils or other spring flowers that show these stages, without looking at the paper while you draw but simply enjoying the process.”

Summer: Focus on the space between objects

“This is a great mindful exercise that focuses on the spaces between leaves or branches, which you may not ordinarily notice. Find a loose-leafed tree or plant and use coloured crayons or pastels to draw those spaces and you will end up with something like a stained-glass window.”

Autumn: Use your sense of touch

“This is a tactile season, with conkers that feel smooth in the hand and the different textures of rose hips and fruits. Simply feel the natural gifts around you and notice their textures to focus the mind on what’s right here, now.”

Visit Steffie’s Arts Space to find out more about her workshops.

About the author - Zia Allaway

Zia is an author, journalist, and qualified horticulturalist who has written and edited a range of gardening books for the RHS and DK, including the RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers.

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