Kirsty Lalich

My name is Kirsty, and I hold a full practising Art Psychotherapy certificate from ANZACTA. ANZACATA The Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA) is the peak professional body that represents creative arts therapists in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia/Pacific region. For the past 8 years I have been working in the Nelson region with a particular focus on supporting individuals and groups of children/family and young people within the rural area. The main cross-section of children I have worked with are between the ages of 5 to 16. 

Who am I? Referrals are made directly to myself from local organisations. After an initial assessment, I offer programmes to support adults and young people. Having qualified in the UK at Hertfordshire University, I have worked as an Arts Psychotherapist for over 28 years in several different areas of mental health such as C.A.M.H.S, Social Care, Education, Crisis and Corrections. I developed my business Wild Oats Farm where I explored the use of the environment and animal therapy to offer a therapeutic environment. 6 It is here at Wild Oats Farm that I took the time to carefully set up a therapeutic environment that provides creative arts therapy with a wraparound of environmental nature/animal assisted therapy. My initial training is in Art Psychotherapy, however I have intentionally utilised the existing rural space to help my clients. All of our farm animals here such as horses, goats, rabbits, and donkeys are offered in my therapeutic programme. Environmental Arts Therapy offers people a therapeutic space that can feel less threatening and more inviting than a traditional therapeutic space; as it is often perceived as being non-threatening. The environmental space can be less threatening for children who have been traumatized and who find working within a closed space too Background overwhelming. I came across a need to develop a new way of offering art therapy, and delivering ways to work with young people who were reluctant to engage in the therapeutic process. I achieved this by designing and offering a much more holistic approach within the rural environment of Wild Oats Farm.