Rebecca Crooks

Hello, my name is Becca. Thank you for pausing on my therapeutic profile. I am a fully qualified and registered Art Psychotherapist, and I offer a warm, collaborative, and empathic therapeutic relationship to hold you sensitively and without judgement.

I have 18 years’ experience working in a supportive capacity, initially within adult mental health. The last 11 years, I have been working as an Art Psychotherapist with children, young people, and adults in hospices, schools, and the community. This work has been incredibly delicate and client-led. It has been a privilege to walk beside people as they explore their feelings using their art-making process.

I have a particular interest in my therapeutic practice of working with grief and loss. These emotions can often feel tangible, without us knowing where to place them. I provide a safe, confidential online space to gently meet you with your stories, feelings, complexities, and the memories that sit within your grief.

What is Art Psychotherapy and what will a therapy session look like?

Art Psychotherapy is a useful way of approaching both the conscious and the unconscious non-verbal feelings of grief. A mixture of art making, talking and sitting with the silence (if needed) in a therapy session can act as a ‘container’ for your emotions; a physical place to hold any ‘messy’ or ‘tangled’ feelings that you might be experiencing.

During our sessions together - if you wish - we will take time to safely pause and reflect on your art makes. I offer a supportive, experiential (engaging through making) space where you can gradually process your feelings and foster a sense of grounding, aiding the beginnings of growing around your grief.

(You do not have to have a skill in art, but a curiosity of using art materials is helpful. The ‘process’ of making art is of equal importance in a session to any pieces that might be considered finished).

My therapeutic approach

The way we grieve is usually informed by our previous life experiences. My therapeutic approach is a psychodynamic one, which means thinking about you as a whole person and the things you feel comfortable to share. I will be beside you as you explore your grief story and experiences through art making, verbal communication, and to sit with the silences you may need to bring.

How does art psychotherapy work as an online session?

Art psychotherapy sessions translate well to being held via online platforms; the ethos is the same: confidential, one-to-one 50-minute video sessions with art making.

This begins with finding a regular, confidential space you can use, where you will remain uninterrupted for the duration of your therapy session. You may wish to use headphones. A reliable internet connection is required to access the video calls. I use the Zoom platform, which is end-to-end encrypted for your confidentiality.

It is useful to build your own kit, perhaps utilising a box to hold your materials in, so it is ready for each session. You can fill it with items that you would like to use in your sessions. These can be items you already have, such as paints, clay, glue, or dry materials like pens, pencils, papers, fabrics, small containers, or objects you have collected from nature. Such items can aid a connection that can be incredibly helpful in grounding emotions. This list isn’t exhaustive and may change from week to week. The most important thought here is that you have selected what feels right for you.

The artwork you make in a therapy session is held as private. Finding a place to store it confidentially is recommended, but this is your choice. You may wish to return to the same art piece each week, destroy it, or begin anew each time you have a session. There is no ‘right’ way, or even a need to make art during a session. Just bring yourself and use materials you are drawn to or would like to use and explore.