Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association
"serving those affected by eating disorders"

I
Information for
Referrers

Introduction - Why Arts Therapy?
Creative Arts Therapies offer tools for exploring and expressing deeply held, long-buried powerful feelings – which words do not always easily express. This is particularly true for people who find words difficult anyway, or for those who find too many words obscuring what it is they really need to say.

Creative Arts Therapies offer the individual space to be, and an enablement towards a very personal and therefore powerful self-expression. There is opportunity for contemplation of change within the support of the therapeutic relationship with the arts therapist. Within the creative process there is an acknowledgement of the fear of change and of recovery, and these very strong concerns are worked with in a non-judgemental, safe and boundaried way. In Creative Arts Therapies Art the autonomy and the pace of the work is kept with the client(s).

A background of skill in the Creative Arts is not necessary to a person’s ability to experience therapeutic work as a client. It is the process that is experienced and shared that is important. The created product - the result of the creative activity - has a definite part to play, but it is the process, the act of creating that we are initially concerned with. There is no getting it “right” or “wrong” to be striven for or feared.

The Creative Arts act as a leveller – everyone is speaking the same “language” – no one is subject to feeling at a disadvantage through not knowing the “right” words.

Creative Arts Therapies offers an experience that is self-enabling and therefore self -empowering. A person comes to a discovery of their own learning, in their own time, with the facilitation of the Arts Therapist/s.

The use of art materials and action methods can make the expression of feelings come to life in a very concrete way – visible, tangible, as food is. In this way the Creative Arts Therapies are very powerful tools in the process of understanding – for clients and therapists. A client’s understanding will enable her/him to take steps on the road towards recovery with less fear.

SWEDA Creative Arts Therapists
Anita Worcester, Drama Therapist and Dinah Mason, Art Therapist are both State Registered. They are members of their professional associations, and work within the code of professional practice and ethics stated by the British Association of Drama Therapists and the British Association of Art Therapists.

Criteria
Individual Creative Arts Therapy is available for clients who are at the point of wanting to work with the emotional issues underlying their eating patterns. Where appropriate, medical responsibility will be maintained by the GP or CMHT or in-patient unit. Individual therapy may be part of a sufferer’s care plan. However, clients may only be taken into therapy if they are themselves expressing a wish to work in this way.

Limitations
Individual Creative Arts Therapy cannot provide routine monitoring of clients’ eating and weight. While we expect that the practical issues relating to food will be addressed at times, this is not the primary concern of the therapeutic process.

Convidentiality
SWEDA’s usual boundaries regarding confidentiality will apply. i.e.. Feedback to supporters, family members and professionals will only be given with the agreement and involvement of the client. Where the therapy is part of someone’s care plan, the key worker will be informed should the client not attend or decide to leave.

Assessment
Potential clients will need to complete an application form and will attend an hour’s one-to-one assessment with Anita or Dinah in which they will have the opportunity to work creatively and ask questions. Feedback will be given to all clients (and to referrers with client’s permission) who we feel are not suitable for this type of work.

For more information, please contact Dinah or Anita at Somerset & Wessex Eating Disorders Association on 01458 448611 or email seda@ukonline.co.uk

You can contact SWEDA for information about eating disorders and the range of services offered (including: one-to-one support, self-help support and the telephone helpline) at :-

SWEDA’s telephone helpline, which is staffed by trained volunteers, many of whom have a personal experience of an eating disorder, can be reached on:-

01458 448600
an answerphone is available when the helpline is closed.


support@swedauk.org
Email support and MSN Messenger contact ID

SWEDA is a registered charity (No.1056441)
and a company limited by guarantee (No.3208772)