Taraka Hart

16/11/2025

Eye 3: Focus on Client-Therapist Relationship
When you and your client sit together in a session, you create something greater than the sum of its parts: a relationship. The therapeutic relationship is created in the here-and-now by both therapist and client and, in my experience, it is the vehicle of therapeutic change. Although the quality of the relationship is often the deciding factor in the therapeutic outcome, it is nonetheless an intangible, ever-changing experience which can be difficult to describe. To help gain perspective on a therapeutic relationship, it can be useful to consider of the relationship creatively using metaphor, or by taking a perspective view of it. For example you might start by asking yourself questions such as:

If you were shipwrecked on a desert island with your client, how would you each behave?
What would you do straight away to survive?
Imagine you’ve now been on the island together for a month. How are you each behaving now?
Think about your client’s most recent session and imagine you are watching it as an observer. What do you notice about the client and counsellor?
If you were both animals, what would you be? (E.g. “I’m a cat and my client is a mouse.”)
How do you interact with each other? (E.g. “The cat is chasing the mouse! ... I think my client wants to run away from me ... I think she’s scared ... I hadn’t thought of it like that.”)
What do you imagine is the transference and counter-transference occurring in the relationship?

Thanks

11/11/2025

Post 2/7 supervision skills

11/11/2025

Eye 2: Focus on Interventions
Each of us only can only ever experience ourselves from the inside. That means there will always be aspects of ourselves that we are unaware of, things that only others see. Conversely, there are aspects of ourselves which we hide from others, and there are those which are hidden from ourselves and others. By focussing on the interventions you use with clients, you can discover hitherto covert aspects of your therapeutic relationships. You might begin by asking yourself the following questions to discover the hidden aspects of your therapeutic relationships:

Do you use a certain kind of intervention more than others? For example, if you ask a lot of questions:
For whose benefit are you asking?
What are you trying to discover?
Why?
What do you hold back and why?
Who are you protecting?
Who or what are you protecting them from?
If you could switch off the part of your mind that filters what comes out of your mouth, what would you say to your client?
What does that tell you about yourself?
What does that tell you about your perception of your client?
What does that tell you about the therapeutic relationship with your client?

-supervision

10/11/2025

10/11/2025

05/11/2025

Teens take control

05/11/2025

Self-supervision

05/11/2025

Self-supervision is a concept discussed amongst arts therapists. I came to it in a moment of need, and I didn't know it was a 'thing'. Since I started using the words 'self-supervision' I came across authors, researchers and others, who have adopted this practice, and shared it with others.

My process includes making a representation of the client as I know. I tune into my heart and body after a session and start drawing. The deep symbolism that has appeared in my drawings has allowed me to reflect on the system, parenting/caring, schooling, socio-economic supports, and other psychosocial nets that support a carer or child. Sometimes it has reflected how a carer sees a child, or young person. Other times it's helped me gain more compassion for a client. After doing the drawing I use a framework to understand the immediate needs and longer term needs of the client. I explore my role in the client's situation, and who else has responsibilities for care. I draw a map of the existing services and rate their effectiveness. Then I look at the gaps or ineffective supports. Usually I would make a plan for support, sometimes calling a stakeholder meeting or phoning supports to energise the existing network, or create change in the system to address unmet needs.

- would you like a template for this type of self-supervision and client care?

05/11/2025

Who needs to know about Self-Supervision? Ever wanted to process content after a difficult session but didn't know who to do that? Ever thought your supervision was too far away and you needed to tend to a part of yourself right now? Ever felt like there was something you were really ashamed of and couldn't take it to your supervisor? Self-Supervision is something that can be used in these circumstances and probably an infinity of others.

Self-supervision gives you tools to figure out things inside of yourself, so it's not necessary in the moment to share with others. Maybe you want to formulate a case, or prepare a review of client progress. Self-supervision can help remove blockages in work, and give you time and space to explore parts of a case your not seen before.

Using the arts, expressive or creative arts therapy tools, you can reflect on most instances safely and simply, and get clarity and find some self compassion.

You probably have some ways you self-supervise right now! Please share!

-supervision

04/11/2025

Have you ever wanted to give the job up because the trauma stores were too big, too sad, too hopeless. Maybe you felt like you had nothing else to give? Maybe you felt like you had too little to offer?
It's no the truth.
Anything you have to offer is likely more than someone has given in a long time.
However, taking care of the toll it has on your nervous system can be key to not giving up, returning tomorrow, walking in the door with a twinkle of hope in your eye. Trees have great powers for humans. Research shows that spending time around trees can reduce stress, improve immunity, lower blood pressure, and accelerate recovery from illness or trauma. Furthermore, when you hug a tree, you release a hormone called oxytocin – known as the hormone of love and trust – which gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling.
Try hugging a tree if there comes a day that's been too full of sad, big trauma stories or when you've felt unable to do or be what you wanted!

26/07/2025

This is the only workshop in Australia built from the ground up-codesigned and based on empirical data of cultural differences in cultural attachment; trauma as racial trauma; depression and su***de risk. Dr Westermans paper on the validation of culture bound syndromes is also an Australian first meaning she has done seminal work into this unique Aboriginal mental health manifestation (spiritual visits versus psychoses; self harm versus sorry cutting etc)
You will also be accredited in FOUR Australia first co designed assessments including the Westerman Aboriginal Symptom Checklist for Youth & Adults which are now in digital form -meaning you can screen for risk just using your phone! There are also TWO Aust first Indigenous mental health intervention products including;
1. Culturally informed treatment plans generated from the client results on the WASC
2. Culturally informed client interviews which literally guide you through the interview process with your at risk Aboriginal client.
There is a reason over 50,000 practitioners and counting have attended this workshop-because it’s delivered by an Indigenous psychologist with over two decades of experience with high risk clients and communities and multiple Australian first peer reviewed papers; including assessments and intervention programs.
You can register in person here:
https://indigenouspsychservices.com.au/product/mental-health-2024/

Or by virtual attendance here:
https://indigenouspsychservices.com.au/product/mental-health-2024-virtual/

This is the ONLY workshop I will be delivering on this topic until July 2026-there are limited spots left.