Creative Beginnings
Practice Symposium
Sunday 31 May, 9am-5pm AEST
The Larwill Studio Melbourne - Art Series (Workshop 1 & 2)
Artwork created and provided by
Sophia Xeros-Constantinides
Description
"Creative Beginnings practice symposium explores the role of creative arts and music therapies in supporting perinatal and infant mental health and wellbeing"
In an Australian first, this full day symposium offers attendees the opportunity to explore the role of art therapy, music therapy, dance movement therapy, and arts in health programs across the perinatal and infant period through dedicated experiential workshops. The workshops will discuss the application of these approaches in various settings from acute health (NICU, parent-infant units) through to the community. The aim is to enable attendees to experience the breadth of what creative arts and music therapies have to offer as well as develop a deeper understanding of their potential benefits in supporting parent and infant wellbeing and mental health. The practice seminar is suitable for a range of differently qualified professionals from both health and allied health backgrounds including those who are beginners up to those with more experience. Importantly, no art or music abilities or skills are needed, just your curiosity and sense of imagination!
Program
The program starts with Dr Helena Anolak presenting on current and local research before splitting into two groups to attend workshops with the format designed to allow everyone the same opportunity to engage in the workshops and will finish by coming together again to discuss innovative ideas and/or explore ways to implement programs within their work setting. Each workshop is 50 minutes,
Workshops
-
Sound Beginnings: Music Therapy During the Perinatal and Infant Period
Dr Liz McLean (RMT, AMTA) and Lauren Salib (RMT, AMTA)
This workshop will provide participants with both theoretical and practical insights into the intentional and creative use of music and music therapy practices to support individuals and families during the perinatal period and across infancy. Delegates will have an opportunity to engage in experiential activities exploring evidenced-based interventions used by music therapists across both acute and community health contexts, to optimize infant and perinatal mental health, strengthen the parent–infant bond and nurture healthy beginnings.
2. Reimagining Parental Embodied Mentalisation using Creative Collage to Support Parent
Infant Wellbeing
Dr Emma van Daal (Th.AP, IMHC) and Dr Ariel Moy (AthR)
This workshop will build on embodied mentalisation using a creative collage approach focusing on affective and sensorial parental and infant patterned ways of being together. Practitioners will leave with a tangible way to help parents imagine and understand their own as well as their infant’s feelings, thoughts and desires, vital for supporting parent/infant wellbeing.
3. Embedding Creative Arts, Singing, and Movement into Your Parental Practice
George Williams (CAT) and Tanis Douglas (AthR)
This workshop will provide participants with both theoretical and practical insights into the intentional and creative use of singing, movement, and arts practices to support individuals and families during the perinatal period and across infancy. Delegates will be invited to experience (non-threatening!!) collective singing and to use rhymes, movement, and storytelling activities to explore evidence-based models that support parental well-being while strengthening the quality of parent–infant/child interactions and bonding. The session provides time for workshopping arts in health impacts for your work context and to hear others' approaches. No musical or arts background required to attend this workshop.
4. Embodied Beginnings: Dance Movement Therapy for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health in Clinical and
Community Settings
Tanya Voges (DMT)
This workshop offers an embodied exploration for participants to understand how Dance Movement Therapy supports attachment and co-regulation—the main benefit at the heart of the therapeutic process for perinatal and infant mental health. Tanya Voges will share her research into the aesthetic experience of movement, exploring the use of materials as a conduit for connection and entry into movement, drawing on her work in an acute mental health unit and an art gallery.
5. Myself as a Tree: An Arts Method for Exploring Maternal Experiencing
Dr Sophia Xeros-Constantinides (RACGP)
Coming soon...
The schedule will be made available closer to the event date via social media and email.
Description
"Creative Beginnings practice symposium explores the role of creative arts and music therapies in supporting perinatal and infant mental health and wellbeing"
In an Australian first, this full day symposium offers attendees the opportunity to explore the role of art therapy, music therapy, dance movement therapy, and arts in health programs across the perinatal and infant period through dedicated experiential workshops. The workshops will discuss the application of these approaches in various settings from acute health (NICU, parent-infant units) through to the community. The aim is to enable attendees to experience the breadth of what creative arts and music therapies have to offer as well as develop a deeper understanding of their potential benefits in supporting parent and infant wellbeing and mental health. The practice seminar is suitable for a range of differently qualified professionals from both health and allied health backgrounds including those who are beginners up to those with more experience. Importantly, no art or music abilities or skills are needed, just your curiosity and sense of imagination!
Program
The program starts with Dr Helena Anolak presenting on current and local research before splitting into two groups to attend workshops with the format designed to allow everyone the same opportunity to engage in the workshops and will finish by coming together again to discuss innovative ideas and/or explore ways to implement programs within their work setting. Each workshop is 50 minutes,
Workshops
-
Sound Beginnings: Music Therapy During the Perinatal and Infant Period
Dr Liz McLean (RMT, AMTA) and Lauren Salib (RMT, AMTA)
This workshop will provide participants with both theoretical and practical insights into the intentional and creative use of music and music therapy practices to support individuals and families during the perinatal period and across infancy. Delegates will have an opportunity to engage in experiential activities exploring evidenced-based interventions used by music therapists across both acute and community health contexts, to optimize infant and perinatal mental health, strengthen the parent–infant bond and nurture healthy beginnings.
2. Reimagining Parental Embodied
Mentalisation using Creative Collage
to Support Parent and
Infant Wellbeing
Dr Emma van Daal (Th.AP, IMHC) and Dr Ariel Moy (AthR)
This workshop will build on embodied mentalisation using a creative collage approach focusing on affective and sensorial parental and infant patterned ways of being together. Practitioners will leave with a tangible way to help parents imagine and understand their own as well as their infant’s feelings, thoughts and desires, vital for supporting parent/infant wellbeing.
3. Embedding Creative Arts, Singing,
and Movement into Your Parental
Practice
George Williams (CAT) and Tanis Douglas (AthR)
This workshop will provide participants with both theoretical and practical insights into the intentional and creative use of singing, movement, and arts practices to support individuals and families during the perinatal period and across infancy. Delegates will be invited to experience (non-threatening!!) collective singing and to use rhymes, movement, and storytelling activities to explore evidence-based models that support parental well-being while strengthening the quality of parent–infant/child interactions and bonding. The session provides time for workshopping arts in health impacts for your work context and to hear others' approaches. No musical or arts background required to attend this workshop.
4. Embodied Beginnings: Dance
Movement Therapy for Perinatal and
Infant Mental Health in Clinical and
Community Settings
Tanya Voges (DMT)
This workshop offers an embodied exploration for participants to understand how Dance Movement Therapy supports attachment and co-regulation—the main benefit at the heart of the therapeutic process for perinatal and infant mental health. Tanya Voges will share her research into the aesthetic experience of movement, exploring the use of materials as a conduit for connection and entry into movement, drawing on her work in an acute mental health unit and an art gallery.
5. Myself as a Tree: An Arts Method for
Exploring Maternal Experiencing
Dr Sophia Xeros-Constantinides (RACGP)
Coming soon...
The schedule will be made available closer to the event date via social media and email.