Art and expressive therapies for children and families in Lismore and the Northern Rivers Region

Helping children and adults improve mental, physical and emotional wellbeing through creative expression.

 
 

Clay Field Therapy® Counselling, Play and Expressive Therapies

Specialising in the sensorimotor modalities of Clay Field Therapy® and Guided Drawing, Heart’s Light Studio also provides counselling, expressive therapies, and child-led play therapy.

Children’s sessions are delivered in conjunction with attachment-focused parenting support, and the option of separate parent counselling or parent-child co-sessions.

How I can help

  • Child Therapy

    Using creative tools such as Clay Field Therapy®, Play and Expressive therapies and Parent-Child Art Therapy can help your child process difficult emotions or address challenging events

    Find out more

  • Adult Therapy

    Sensorimotor Art Therapy and Expressive Therapies are just as effective with adults as they are with children.

    Find out more

  • Group and Community Workshops

    Staff Development, Team Building and therapeutic group workshops for children and young people.

    Find out more

What parents say

  • "Thank you again Pip for being you, and for all the care and support you have shown my son. I believe you have really supported him to be more confident, to talk about his feelings and to implement the calming strategies. It has also helped him to know others understand."

  • "My child loved working with you and grew so much more confident from your sessions."

  • "Pip is really good at understanding where the parents are coming from and has been an amazing support."

  • "My daughter has built confidence and learned strategies to assist with difficult situations. She has really benefited from the trust and comfort Pip has provided in a safe and happy environment. "

  • "It was great to be able to talk, to express my concerns and be able to help my child … I thought that Pip was great with my daughter and myself.

  • "My Daughter had very high anxiety and was holding on to pain from a parental separation. Pip worked with her on this by creating safe places and worry dolls, and then was able to get her to start opening up through clay therapy."

  • "The best thing was seeing my daughter start to calm after the first session and be able to talk to me about her feelings."

Sensorimotor Art and Expressive Therapies are especially beneficial for:

 

Children who:

  • Have learning challenges, attention deficit or hyperactivity diagnoses

  • Have witnessed or been exposed to emotional or physical trauma

  • Have experienced school bullying or school refusal

  • Are experiencing grief and loss

  • Are on the Autism Spectrum

Parents looking to support their children in:

  • Finding co-regulation and moving towards secure attachment

  • Creating self regulation and self-soothing strategies

  • Cultivating resilience and assertiveness

  • Dealing with big emotions

  • Enhancing self-worth

Adults who are ready to:

  • Find new and effective ways to address mental health or emotional issues

  • Reconnect with their own vitality and life force

  • Heal old wounds

 
 

Hi, I’m Pip

Sensorimotor Art Therapist and trauma-informed and attachment-focused therapist

I am a qualified Sensorimotor Art Therapist and the founder of Heart’s Light Therapies. I hold certifications in Expressive Therapies, Child- led Play Therapy, and training in Parent-Child Dyad art therapy.

With over 20 years experience in Primary Education, where I focused on creative arts and learning support, and almost 10 years working therapeutically with children and families in the community sector, I am passionate about helping people find their own strengths and healing abilities through creative expression.

As a trauma-informed and attachment-focused therapist, I believe in the transformative power of healthy relationships. While I usually work with individual children, I recognise the essential role of the family system and the importance of positive relationships in a child’s life. This is why I actively include and support parents and care-givers at some level during their child’s time with me.

This usually means regular phone calls between sessions, but can also include separate parent sessions, and when appropriate, joint sessions with both parent and child together to support and strengthen attachment ties.

When you arrive at Heart’s Light Studio, you will find a warm, welcoming space, where connection and creating a sense of safety are the foundation of our work together.

What children say

  • "Playing in the clay and the water was the best bit. You never see that much clay!"

  • "It was good we could go outside to collect flowers and leaves when we made the safe place for a duck"

  • "Pip is great if your child is struggling with big emotions"

  • "Pip is the best!"