Art Therapy Groups in Bermondsey
Group art therapy works through a combination that individual sessions cannot fully replicate: the creative process alongside the experience of being witnessed by others, and of witnessing them. There is something particular about making something in the presence of other people — something that bypasses the self-monitoring of ordinary social interaction and allows a different kind of expression to emerge.
Art therapy groups at the Bermondsey practice are for adults. They run regularly and are open to people with no artistic experience — in fact, those without a habit of artistic production often find the group easier to engage with, because there is less to unlearn.
What Happens in the Group
Sessions are facilitated by a trained art psychotherapist. A range of materials is available — paint, charcoal, clay, collage, pastels. There is no instruction to produce anything particular. The group works at its own collective pace, with individual creative process happening alongside shared reflection on what emerges.
The work is therapeutic, not educational. It is not art instruction. It is a structured space in which the creative process becomes a vehicle for psychological exploration — held by the group and by the facilitator.
Who Art Therapy Groups Are For
Art therapy groups are particularly useful for people who find one-to-one therapy feels too exposing at the outset, for those who are also working individually and want a complementary group experience, and for those who find that the creative process offers access to something that verbal work alone does not reach. They are also used for specific therapeutic purposes — in addiction recovery, in eating disorder support, and in the processing of grief and life transition.
Getting Started
Contact the Bermondsey practice for information about the current group schedule and availability. An initial individual consultation is typically arranged before joining a group, to ensure the format is appropriate for your particular situation.