ART psychotherapist Charlotte McRae has joined the growing pastoral care team at Dame Allan’s Schools to provide a more unique form of therapy.
Miss McRae's expertise in the field of art therapy will give pupils across the Schools under her care the opportunity to explore the use of art media as a way to express and communicate their emotions.
She explains: “Art materials can be used very successfully in therapy sessions as a form of expression, communication and exploration. It can alleviate anxieties for children, especially during challenging times.
“They can use any form of creative medium within art therapy - be it pencils, paint and chalks or alternative props and tools - to explore internal narratives, thoughts and feelings, and create healthier coping strategies.”
Miss McRae has previously worked with children in public care (those placed in foster care and residential homes) and specialised in trauma counselling, abuse and neglect, and the subsequent impact on behaviours and mental health. Recognising the importance of non-verbal communication, she trained and qualified as an art psychotherapist in 2016.
She has worked in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) / Children and Young People Service (CYPS), and successfully ran her own business providing art psychotherapy services to children across the North-East, before expanding her knowledge into the private education sector in 2018.
Joining an expanding pastoral care team at Dame Allan’s, Miss McRae will provide art therapy sessions to younger pupils in the Junior School yurt, and to older pupils in the Senior Schools’ newly-opened wellbeing centre, The Snug.
She says: “It is great to join such a forward-thinking team. Dame Allan’s not only offers an outstanding educational provision, but in addition to this, the schools are really knowledgeable and innovative when it comes to all aspects of mental health and wellbeing.
“Introducing art psychotherapy adds a new dimension to the already well-established counselling and support services available at the schools. It gives young people access to new tools to safely explore their emotions, non-verbally, should they need to do so.”
Miss McRae is accredited and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Association of Art Therapies (BAAT).
