Carly Champion
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About me
Welcome
Hello, I’m Carly.
Firstly, I want to recognise just how significant that first step towards seeking help can be. Life can be a rollercoaster of ups and downs, and reaching a point where you feel able to ask for support can take real courage.
Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected from yourself, struggling to make sense of what you are experiencing, or simply know that something needs to change. Whatever has brought you here, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I offer a warm, welcoming and creative therapeutic space where you can take the time to explore what is happening for you, at a pace that feels safe and manageable. There is no expectation to have everything figured out before you arrive. We can begin exactly where you are.
A therapeutic relationship built on trust
For me, the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of therapy.
I believe it is incredibly important that you feel safe enough to bring all parts of yourself into the therapy room : the vulnerabilities, tears, stories, challenges, difficult experiences, laughter, hopes and everything in between.
You are entirely unique, just like your fingerprint, and your therapy should reflect that.
As an HCPC and BAAT-registered Art Psychotherapist with over 17 years of experience across mental health, community and educational settings, I draw upon a range of psychological theories and therapeutic approaches. These include psychodynamic and attachment-informed approaches, DDP, Polyvagal Theory, PACE, neuroscience and trauma-informed practice.
Alongside my professional training and knowledge, I believe that being genuinely human matters enormously in therapy. I bring warmth, compassion, curiosity and authenticity to my work. I adapt my therapeutic approach carefully to the person sitting in front of me, rather than expecting you to fit into a particular model of therapy.
I am deeply passionate about the work I do, and I feel privileged to be able to support people through some of the most difficult and significant moments of their lives.
The power of art psychotherapy
My therapy space is filled with creative possibilities, from clay and collage to paint, inks and other sensory materials.
Art can provide another way of communicating and exploring experiences that may sometimes feel difficult to put into words. It can help us slow down, notice what is happening internally and begin to make sense of thoughts, feelings, memories and experiences.
Within art psychotherapy, the artwork can become part of the therapeutic relationship, providing a tangible place to explore and hold some of the material that emerges during therapy. Sometimes things that have felt difficult to understand consciously can begin to become clearer through the creative process.
This is a specialised form of psychotherapy, and you do not need to be artistic or have any previous art experience to access it. There is absolutely no expectation that you will produce something beautiful or even know what you want to make.
Art-making sits alongside verbal communication, reflection and therapeutic conversation. Sometimes we might create together, sometimes you may want to talk, and sometimes the session may naturally move between the two.
Understanding the bigger picture
Our experiences are rarely made up of just one thing. There can be many different threads, experiences and pieces to the puzzle.
My approach is person-centred and individualised. I begin by taking time to understand you, your experiences and what has brought you to therapy. From this, we can develop an assessment and therapeutic formulation that helps guide the work we do together.
Across more than 17 years of professional experience, I have worked with developmental trauma, childhood adversity, neurodiversity, attachment difficulties, domestic abuse, child and adolescent mental health, adult mental health, substance misuse and mental health in later life.
My experience spans community and specialist mental health services, education, CAMHS, therapeutic and residential settings, domestic abuse services and services supporting people experiencing significant adversity.
My training as an Art Psychotherapist also involved extensive university study, clinical placements and supervised practice alongside my Master's degree. This has given me the opportunity to develop a broad understanding of mental health and human experience across the lifespan.
Developing understanding and finding ways forward
Therapy isn't simply about talking about what is difficult. Where appropriate, I can also introduce psychoeducation, evidence-informed therapeutic tools and practical strategies to help you develop a greater understanding of yourself and what may be happening within your nervous system.
We may explore areas such as emotional regulation, tolerance, attachment, trauma responses, neuroscience and the ways our experiences can shape how we think, feel and respond.
My aim is not to tell you who you should be or how you should feel. Instead, I want to help you develop greater understanding, self-awareness and choice, so that you can begin to feel more able to navigate life in a way that feels right for you.
You don't have to do this alone
Whatever may be going on for you right now, you don't need to arrive with the answers.
Sometimes the first step is simply having somewhere safe to begin.
Finding the right therapist and developing a relationship where you feel genuinely heard, understood and accepted can make an important difference. Therapy can be a place to explore the parts of yourself that may have become difficult to understand, reconnect with yourself and discover new ways of moving forward.
There may be difficult days, unexpected discoveries, laughter, tears and moments when things begin to make a little more sense.
You can bring all versions of yourself into the room.
You don't have to navigate this alone.
If you feel ready, we can take that first step together.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications & Professional Registration
- MA Art Psychotherapy
- BSc (Hons) Community Health and Social Sciences
- Registered Art Psychotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Registered Member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)
- Specialist Training & Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
2026
- Haptic Perception in Art Therapy: Using Clay for Implicit Repair of Developmental Deficits
- Bilateral Drawing and Haptic Perception
2025
- Keeping Children Safe Framework – Local Authority Children's Services
Safeguarding Children (Group C) – Local Authority Children's Services
2024
- Trauma and Attachment Training (PACE Approach) – Three-Day Training, Phoenix
- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and Polyvagal Theory Training
- Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviour – Three-Day Training (George Panayi)
- Clinical Supervision Training – Two-Day Training (Dr Val Huet & Mary Rose Brady, BAAT)
- Trauma-Informed, Trauma-Infused and Trauma-Responsive Supervision and
- Reflective Spaces (Dr Karen Treisman)
- Mentalization-Based Art Therapy: Introduction Day (Alex McDonald, Jake Shaw & Samantha Chilvers, BAAT)
- Emergency First Aid at Work, Including Anaphylaxis Training
2023
Child Development and its Significance in Art Therapy Across the Life Cycle – Two-Day Training (Mary Rose Brady, BAAT)
2022
- Therapeutic Treasure Box: Theory and Creative Techniques for Facilitating Resilience and Affect Regulation in Children with Relational and Developmental Trauma –
- Three-Day Training (Dr Karen Treisman)
- BAAT Annual Conference: Art Therapy, Trauma in Society and Social Activism
Areas of Ongoing Professional Interest
- Trauma-informed practice
- Attachment and developmental trauma
- Neurodiversity-affirming practice
- Mentalization-based approaches
- Polyvagal-informed therapy
- Creative and sensory approaches, including clay and haptic perception
Clinical supervision and reflective practice
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The HCPC are an independent, UK-wide health regulator. They set standards of professional training, performance and conduct for 16 professions.
They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards, and they take action if registered health professionals fall below those standards. They were created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions Order 2001.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards for their professional training, performance and conduct.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Main Areas of Specialism
- Trauma and developmental trauma
- Childhood adversity and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
- Looked-after children and care-experienced young people
- Domestic abuse and the impact of abusive relationships
- Substance misuse and recovery
- Neurodiversity, including autism and other neurodevelopmental differences
- Chronic health conditions, long-term illness, and disability
- Learning disabilities and learning difficulties
- Anxiety and emotional wellbeing
- Attachment difficulties and relational trauma
Therapies offered
Fees
£70.00 per session
Additional information
Fees
Art Therapy
Individual Art Therapy Sessions: £70 per 60-minute session
Sessions are typically offered every week.
Clinical Supervision
Clinical Supervision: £75 per 60-minute session
Reduced rates are available for student therapists.
Reports and Professional Consultation
Clinical Reports: £125–£150 (depending on complexity and time required)
Attendance at professional meetings, consultations, or multi-agency meetings can be arranged by prior agreement and may incur an additional fee.
