Roehampton alumna and art psychotherapist quoted in The Guardian

• Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Gwendolyn Rowlands, a Roehampton alumna and art psychotherapist is quoted in The Guardian providing advice on how to succeed in the field.

Gwendolyn Rowlands graduated from the MA in Art Psychotherapy from the Department of Psychology at the University of Roehampton. She is a sculptor and was an art teacher before she began training as an art psychotherapist. She currently works as an art psychotherapist across two primary schools in London, for the charity Place2Be.

She said ‘It’s very important that art therapists keep up their own art work—because our practice is psychodynamic, meaning we use all of ourselves, the job can be very challenging and emotionally involving. So I start every day with 45 minutes of drawing. It’s a way of checking in with myself; I know how I’m feeling that morning by what is coming out on the page’.

She works one to one with children engaging in non-verbal communication in an art therapy room. Using a variety of toys and materials, she helps children to express themselves.

Her advice to other students and art psychotherapists is ‘It’s a competitive career but if you want the work you will get it. Like all areas of the arts you have to be resourceful. Budgets are stretched at the moment, but I am heartened by the fact that in the schools there’s a real awareness for the need of the work we do&esquo;.

Read the full article on The Guardian website here.

The Psychology Department offers an outstanding postgraduate degree in Art Psychotherapy enabling graduates to be eligible to register with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC).