Managing the Impact of Cancer through Art
Group therapy with Krissy and Anisha allowed me to actually thoroughly examine and express my anxieties in a safe place. It also taught me I had inner strengths I didn’t realise I had and now feel I will be able to confidently deal with any more future personal difficulties in a much better productive way.
- Breast Cancer Group Member
As an art therapist, I am trained to support people through complex emotional experiences using creative and psychological approaches that do not rely solely on words.
Alongside this professional training, I bring my own lived experience of breast cancer, which gives me a personal understanding of the uncertainty, emotional impact, and life changes that a diagnosis can bring.
This combination allows me to offer both clinical grounding and lived empathy in my work. I am particularly committed to supporting women with breast cancer and their families, offering a space that is compassionate, respectful, and attuned to the realities of navigating illness and recovery.
Client confidentiality is central to my practice. No client artwork or indentifying material is shared on this site. This, and the following images are from my own reflective studio practice.
Working at your own pace
Through art-making, thoughts, feelings and sensory experiences can be explored at a pace that feels safe, without needing to talk about everything directly.
This can help reduce overwhelm and allow difficult experiences to be approached gradually. The process also offers a sense of choice and control, which can be especially important after medical situations where this may have been lost.
A gentle way to process difficult experiences
Art therapy offers a supportive way to process medical trauma, especially when words feel hard to find.
Experiences such as diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care can be overwhelming, often leaving people with complex emotions that are difficult to express. Working creatively can provide another way of exploring and making sense of what has been lived through.
Reconnection and integration
For many people, medical trauma can affect their relationship with their body.
Engaging with art materials—colour, texture and movement—can support a more compassionate and grounded reconnection over time. Above all, art therapy creates a space where complex emotions can be held, witnessed and gently understood, helping people begin to integrate their experiences in a way that feels manageable and meaningful.
Where and how I work
I work at The House of Hope in Edinburgh, a supportive space for people affected by cancer.
I offer both one-to-one art therapy sessions and group work for women living with breast cancer, as well as sessions that include family members where appropriate. My approach is gentle, collaborative and paced around each person’s needs, allowing time and space to explore experiences in a way that feels safe.
Working within The House of Hope means I am part of a specialist environment where emotional, psychological and creative support can sit alongside one another, offering continuity of care in a setting that understands the realities of living with and beyond cancer.