Dr Sarah Hedley–Dray
Arts Counsellor, Sandplay Therapist & Lecturer
My work brings together Arts Counselling, Sandplay Therapy, supervision, teaching and community-based Art for Wellbeing workshops. Across all parts of my practice, I aim to work with the whole person, holding the belief in each individual’s potential for growth and transformation.
At my home studio, I work with children, young people and adults using Sandplay and other creative approaches. These processes can offer a gentle way to explore feelings, experiences and inner worlds – especially when words are difficult to find.
Alongside my clinical practice, I teach at the Tobias School for Art and Therapy, where I deliver modules and assess clinical case studies for Arts Counselling students. I also offer supervision to trainees and qualified counsellors. I value the variety of my work and the privilege of supporting both clients and developing practitioners.
Arts Counselling with Sarah
Arts counselling is a blend of creative activities and talking therapy. Some people come for talking therapy alone; however, most clients choose this alongside art activities and/or Sandplay. These creative modalities offer greater depth of experience and provide other ways to express ourselves when words are not enough or cannot be found.
My studio is a calm, quiet space where each person is warmly welcomed. I bring a range of therapeutic approaches together, creating a bespoke therapy package to suit each person’s unique needs and circumstances. I have a person-centred approach, which means we work at your pace to identify and express your feelings.
As an Arts Counsellor, I work in a predominantly creative way, assisting self-expression through art-making processes. However, if you so choose, we can also include other techniques such as mindfulness exercises, guided visualisation and/or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Whatever you choose, together we will explore any underlying issues to support your healing and personal growth.
What Happens in Arts Counselling
I have a wide range of art materials and processes for you to choose from. I encourage media that will help you to express yourself in new ways.
Many clients enjoy wet-on-wet painting, which is relaxing and often brings new realisations to the surface. Other art media processes include drawing, painting and modelling using materials such as chalk pastels, coloured pencils, watercolours, acrylics, wax crayons and clay. We might explore other processes such as collage, mandalas, or felt making. No artistic skills or experience is required; I invite you to experiment and am there to guide and support you.
Although you might be pleased with your image or model, Arts Counselling focuses on the process rather than the final product. There is no need to be ‘good’ at art, as we embark on a journey of self-discovery together. The process and final product can bring new realisations, which we explore through talking and/or further creative processes. We talk as much or as little as you choose.
Sarah's Background and Training
Art and making have been part of my life since childhood. I was often found creating models, drawing and making pictures, and this early love of art led me to study Fine Art at university, specialising in sculpture and printmaking.
After training as a teacher, I went on to have a long and varied career in education, working across mainstream and special education, with children and young people of different ages and needs. I also taught overseas in international schools in Europe and Asia, before returning to the UK and developing a particular interest in special education and autism.
This led me to further study in Applied Behaviour Analysis and to pursue a PhD in Applied Psychology, supporting children with autism in developing skills in play and independence. Later, through my tutoring work, I found myself supporting increasing numbers of children and young people who were unable to access school because of anxiety. Over time, my work became less about education alone and more about emotional wellbeing.
Training as an Arts Counsellor brought me back to my roots in art, creativity and making. I discovered how powerful creative processes can be in therapy, especially when feelings or experiences are difficult to put into words. After several years working in community settings, I opened my private practice, where I now work with people of all ages, from young children through to older adults.
Creativity and nature continue to be important parts of my own life. I love spending time in the Ashdown Forest, where the colours, textures, patterns and movement of the natural world inspire my own artwork. My creative practice includes felt making, painting, drawing, pottery and sacred geometry, often using natural materials such as pigments from rocks and plants, clay, wool fibres, wood and stone.
I am also interested in energy systems, and have trained in Reiki and practise Tai Chi through movement and meditation.
Qualifications
- Certificate in Integrative Sandplay Therapy – Sandplay, Creative Arts & Trauma Training
- MCGI Level 7 / Masters-level training in Transpersonal Arts in Therapy – Tobias School of Art & Therapy
- PhD Applied Psychology – University of Kent
- Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis – University of Kent
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education – University of Hertfordshire
- Postgraduate Certificate in Cognition and Learning – Canterbury Christ Church University
- BA Hons Fine Art – De Montfort University
Professional Memberships and Accreditation
- Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- Associate member of the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
- Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS)
Where Did Arts Counselling Come From?
Arts Counselling is akin to Art Therapy; both terms describe art-making to foster self-awareness and address emotional distress. The term varies depending on the place and type of training.
Art, as a means of communication and the expression of emotion, is seen in ancient practices from cultures all over the world. In its modern sense, Art therapy originated in the 1940s, with the term being coined by British artist Adrian Hill, who studied the connection between creative expression and emotional release. Others also promoted art as therapy, including Margaret Naumburg, Carl Jung and Edward Adamson.
Since then, much research has shown that creative therapies can be effective to treat a wide range of issues, including depression, trauma, abuse, anxiety, grief and eating disorders.
My Counselling Approach
My therapeutic approach brings together person-centred counselling and anthroposophy with core elements of other modalities, including Jungian psychology and Gestalt therapy.
Anthroposophy takes a holistic view by integrating body, soul and spirit. This approach brings depth to Arts Counselling and draws attention to polarities of experience such as light and shade, coolness and warmth, stillness and motion, fragility and strength – these elements can be observed in artmaking and related to inner qualities. Arts counselling can support us towards integration and a place of balance.
A person-centred approach means I offer unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence. My underlying belief is that given the right conditions, every individual has the capacity for personal growth and change. My role is to provide the right conditions – a warm environment with invitations for creative activities that support this process.
What People Say...
What Happens Next...
If you are wondering whether arts counselling might be right for you, you are very welcome to get in touch.
To help get started, I offer a free (no commitment) 20-minute phone call to answer questions and see if we are a good fit.
I look forward to hearing from you.