Alison's Art Therapy

16/05/2025

ways to hear how art therapy helps

13/05/2024

Touché.

We can't simply launch into trying to resolve traumatic memories – flashbacks, dissociative amnesia, the emotional and often unconscious imprint of . We need a solid foundation of safety and support first.

Find out more:
https://www.carolynspring.com/shop/trauma-webinar-4

03/05/2024

Free chances to try street art this weekend in pb! 😎

11/03/2024

Looking after myself comes in many forms...this weekend a spring wreath workshop Cambridge Art Makers with some good friends that nourished my hands and spirit with the touching and making, and my heart with laughter and connection to others.
What (have you done today) did you do this weekend, to make you feel good!

28/01/2024

If you like this page, please Join my ‘interested’ email llist here - I promise you’ll not get bombarded and I answer personally....

Alison Hawtin is a highly experienced Art Therapist and Attuned Artist working from Ulverston in Cumbria and Peterborough UK: Alison offers consultancy, direct therapy, supervision, training, mentoring and arts & health projects. She is a published author and researcher. She has 20+ years expe

10/11/2022

3 of my personal favourites from the exhibition of art students work, curated by one of their tutors

23/10/2022

Easily underestimated - that space to simply BE

How can it be that the thing that benefits us most as survivors is often the hardest thing to find? I've experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly in but I'm grateful that the good has mostly won out.

Read more: https://www.carolynspring.com/books/

16/10/2022

And noticing is at the heart of art therapy 🖼🎨👁🔍🖼

After , it's hard to experience joy. This is due to multiple reasons, not least because the brain regions connected with joy are shut down. 'Noticing' (mindful awareness) reactivates them, especially the medial prefrontal cortex: https://www.carolynspring.com/blog/noticing-the-extraordinary-ordinary/

15/10/2022

Our life experiences are not perfect and so we inevitably learn and create some defences, resiliences and ways of coping that may resemble aspects of these more extreme examples listed here. We hope don’t we, that by receiving sustained ‘Imperfectly human but beautiful good-enoughness’ which feels MOSTLY safe, loving and secure, we grow into rounded people able to navigate life.
Caveat: I am not in any way condoning abuse of any kind.

13/10/2022

Very useful for families, teachers and well everyone

I am posting about the words 'ATTENTION SEEKING' this week - whether as used to describe a child, or a child's behaviour. A concern that is often voiced when I explore this topic is that if we respond to 'attention seeking' by giving attention then we are reinforcing negative behaviours.

This image by Lindsay Braman - Therapist & Psychoeducator sums up why attending when a child communicates a need for attention is important.

"Seeking attention through behavior is never a person’s first attempt to get that attention. Observing attention-seeking behavior in teens, kids, or adults is typically a sign of an unmet need.

People seek attention through behavior when attempts to get care by asking verbally have failed.

Humans are expressive and creative. It is a sign of a healthy brain that we creatively try different ways to get our needs met."

This is an excerpt from a brilliant and insightful article Lindsay has written on the topic which you can read in full here:
https://lindsaybraman.com/root-attention-seeking-behavior/