Julia Yates

About Me

Hello, welcome to my profile. I'm a Person Centred Counsellor with experiential training in Expressive Arts Therapy. This method, used alongside counselling is based on the work of Natalie Rogers. She believed that we all have the ability to create and that the creative process can be harnessed for change. In sessions I offer art materials and figures (miniatures) to assist in the process of self exploration and expression. This is often an enjoyable and revealing process bringing fresh insight to the work. You don't need to be good at art or to have used this method before.

I have experience working in several organisations and settings, including addiction, mental health, higher education and schools. Creative therapy is particulatly suited to working with young persons. I have been lucky enough to work with people  across the lgbtqia+spectrum including non binary people. This is my community and I have a particuler interest in gender politics. Whether you identify within or outside of the binary, gender identity can feel restrictive and difficult or dysphoric.  Identifying outside of the binary can feel lonely or confusing. 

I believe that each person has the right to be who they are in a safe, non judgemental environment. My belief and experience over many years is that we all have the inner capacity for change, creativity and to find our own way towards a more fulfilling life. At times this is hard to see when we suffer with emotional pain, distress and anxiety.  My approach is to provide a space for you where we can work through this at your pace using mark making and images to express what is often hard to put into words.  I also use sand trays and/or miniature figures alongside talking. We can use stories, collage and writing so feel free to bring your own work or experiment in sessions. There is no such thing as perfection, only ways of expressing that work for you. I firmly believe that in this way we can work through difficulties and come to a place where you feel happier and more in control, where you understand your story better and are comfortable with who you are.

I bring my sensitivity and empathic perception to my work , alongside creative insight from over 20 years of using therapeutic art and collage for my self. I bring my passion for all things creative and therapeutic and my firm faith in this approach.

My Practice

I hold individual sessions near to the city centre, with parking facilities near by. It is also wheelchair accessible.

Individual sessions are one hour for talking therapy and up to an hour and a quater if you are using the art materials in the session.  I can offer guidance on how to use them if you are new to it all. We focus on mark making as a reference for exploration, expression and psychological healing. We can also use images created in between sessions if you would like to use them as a reference point.

Creative Expressive Therapy simply means expressing ourself through colour, line, shape and form using art or collage materials. If you struggle to describe your experiences in words it may be really useful for you to try this method. It gets us in touch with our emotions and helps to process them through the materials. This symbolic work goes beyond the limits of verbal communication.

I also facilitate small therapy groups, up to 8 members where I encourage participants to use mark making and art as a form of self expression. I provide art materials and guidance on how to use them to explore issues that people would like to work with. Participants bring a variety of issues and experiences to the group and everyone has the chance to talk about these. We then have a short relaxation which is a simple breathing exercise before focusing on how to translate inner feelings into a simple picture form. Wethen focus on a creative exercise, reflecting on the images afterwards. People can say as much or as little about the images and their personal meaning to them. It is a safe supportive group where participants enjoy engaging with the process. We are currently taking new members.

If you would like to join a group we would meet or speak on the phone to discuss the boundaries and confidentiality and what you would like from the sessions.

Sometimes we believe that we can't draw, paint or write creatively because we didn't meet certain standards set at school or college. Therapeutic creativity is not a restrictive or a precise process, it can open us up to finding new ways of speaking out and working through even really difficult experiences. The images can be very simple or abstract and can still give us insight into ourselves. Feelings come through as shapes, symbols, colours or characters which have individual personal meaning. There is no right or wrong in this process, you can experiment with different mediums, different colours and shapes exploring your own feelings in a safe and often enjoyable way. In this process you are the author of your experience, to speak through this fascinating language without judgement. You won't need any previous experience or skill. I provide all materials and figures but you're also welcome to bring your own.

If you struggle to be assertive and speak up for yourself then you may benefit from using creative therapy.  We can focus on what you feel and what you want to say in a safe supportive environment. It may sound strange to say that creative techniques can strengthen your voice but in my experience they can. The creative outlet reduces the pent up stress of not speaking up and helps you to identify areas of your life you'd like to work on. Creativity in a safe space gives you the freedom to do this.

Coercive control, gaslighting, oppression, separation where children are involved, historic abuse, LGBTQA+ issues.

Individual sessions cost £40. This is a full hour and a quater inclusive. This gives us time to set up and use the art materials or figures and reflect on the creative work afterwards. .All materials are provided. There is a student and young person's reduced fee, if needed of £35. This also applies to refugees and people out of work. This also allows for an hour and a quater.

The cost for running workshops is £50 an hour for organisations. 

All materials for groups are provided.

Appointments can be made to fit around work hours and family life. I have some appointments available on Saturdays between 1pm and 4pm. Monday or Tuesday I am available evenings. up until 7.30pm.

We would meet to agree our counselling contract, talk about Confidentiality and also about how the sessions would work before starting therapeutic work.

If you would like to join a group or workshop then please email me and we can take it from there.

You can find out more about my approach and groups on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JuliaYatesCounsellorLancaster or Instagram at www.instagram.com/lancaster_creative_counselling