Version User Scope of changes
Apr 16 2008, 2:53 AM EDT (current) KellieMiles 3 words added, 4 words deleted
Jun 17 2007, 5:20 AM EDT KellieMiles

Changes

Key:  Additions   Deletions
About the Facilitator - Picturing Motherhood

Kellie Miles BA Comms, DipTAT



"My own personal and professional experiences have led me to create "Picturing Motherhood."


I am a trained and fully qualified art therapist (and mum!) who has a specialist interest in working with mothers and babies.




Last year I ranhave run a weekly art therapy group for young mothers or mothers-to-be, as part of the Glen Mervyn Young Women’s Health Program, a Red Cross initiative. My art therapy group was popular and I received very positive feedback about the programme from the carers and the young women who voluntarily chose to attend each week. This was a mutually rewarding experience and one I'd like to continue in the future.

My Professional Training:-
I have a Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy from the Ikon International Institute, offered through the College of Complementary Medicine, Sydney. This is a specialist course, nationally accredited by the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) which comes under the Federal Government's Higher Education Act, ensuring the qualification and course meets national standards. This specialist training equips me with the experience, skills and qualifications to work as an Art Therapist in private practice, Government Departments, schools, TAFE, colleges and hospitals across Australia.

 About the Facilitator - Picturing Motherhood

I am also a member of SNTR the Society of Natural Therapists and Researchers. www.sntr.com.au





Personal reasons why I developed 'Picturing Motherhood?'
During 2004, whilst taking 12 months off to spend time following the birth of my new son, I soon realised a number of things:

  • Whilst loving the time I spent with my son, I craved some ‘me time.’ Looking around for an activity that could provide a little “time-out” - a kind of outlet to explore and reflect on the incredible changes to my life - I found none. Things were ‘good’, I didn’t need ‘therapy’ as such but I did want an opportunity to share my experiences or, at the very least, to do some art in a social environment where I could meet other like-minded mothers.

  • Many of the other women in my mothers' group craved similar opportunities.

  • Whilst I had 'free' time, it wasn't 'baby' free time where I could renew myself and spend a small amount of time recharging my batteries.

  • I found this precious snapshot - the first twelve months of my son's life - could be enhanced by exploring it creatively and that doing so brought me:

- clarity about how I wanted to parent,

- an opportunity to focus on what I wanted for myself and for my family,

- an opportunity to get back in touch with me,

- further insight into what I felt was important in life - such as work-life balance,

- a sense of calm in the whirlwind of being a first-time mum with a new baby,

- the opportunity to celebrate new and exciting milestones,

- the opportunity to resolve some confusion about physical changes to my body,
  • This creative exploration and reflection of motherhood was of enormous personal value to myself and to my baby. By drawing on my professional training as an Art Therapist, my intersest in working with mums and babies as well as my first-hand experience of this important life-stage, I created 'Picturing Motherhood.' This unique programmeprogram now offers other mums the opportunity to creatively explore and reflect on their own challenges, wonders and changes to themselves, their babies and their lives!